My Fantasy Adventure is more engaging than expected
by Basscus
Summary: What if, by a series of unseen events, Oregairu instead of being written as a Slice of Life and School Life was written as a Fantasy Adventure. Follow our favorite loner as he traverses a world filled with magic and adventure doing odd jobs and being forced to deal with the problems of others. Is he going to die as a hero or live long enough to know how cruel the world is?
1. Even a Respected Adventurer is Corrupt

My Fantasy Adventure is more engaging than Expected

* * *

Youth is nothing but a lie, a trap wrapped like a gift that only brings pain.

It is the greatest form of deception, a curse wrapped like a present, opening it would reveal its hideous nature. And unfortunately, I accepted this gift with open arms. Those who have lived through this stage of their life claim of its wonderful state, they say it's a time when anything is possible but believing that you could do the impossible is nothing short of a lie. Carrying such a mentality would only result in you getting hurt or being ostracized by your peers. And yet there are those people ignore the pain they've experienced, telling only the grandeur of being so young, and they are nothing but fools who you should never trust. Do not succumb to their tales, acknowledge them only as exaggerated legends made to appear intriguing to its listeners.

If ever they do talk about the shortcomings of their childhood, they would instead perceive it in a positive light, even the most life-changing mistakes are thought only as the _spices_ of youth. Fooling people into thinking that Youth is nothing but childish bliss and enjoyment, but they forget the multiple times they've tripped and scraped their knees then cried about it, they overlook the times when their expectations are met with dissatisfaction or when their hopes of fitting in are pummeled to the ground, figuratively and literally.

Then, there are those people who think of pain as a way to change, that it drives us to be better people and it gives us the chance to never commit the same mistake again. But what about them who were not given the chance to change? Instead, they are repeatedly punished for their naivety, these people don't change because of pain becoming only numb to it. They talk of it as a tool to grow up and mature. And I say that those people who talk of pain as if it were a blessing are either idiots or masochists.

If being hurt is good because it is a big part of youth, then would it not be strange to consider that those people who beaten to a pulp by their bullies are experiencing the pinnacle of what youth has to offer? But of course, _they_ wouldn't acknowledge it.

Instead, trust yourself alone, because you can never truly hurt _you_. View change as being weak and subordinate to the unjust world. Never deceive yourself into thinking that you can live like a royalty forever. Only care about yourself and no one else, you never know if they even cared about you.

People lie to others about their life, to appear important.

The weak are always beaten by the strong, give power to the weak and see them do the same.

Trust no one but yourself, people are cruel and selfish by nature, no one is an exemption. Even me.

* * *

**Even a Respected Adventurer is Corrupt.**

* * *

The guild leader, Shizuka Hiratsuka was reading an essay she forced me to make. Every time she pronounces even a syllable of my work, her face scrunches up and the vein on her forehead becomes even more visible. Closely listening to her, I could say that my writing style is amateurish at best. Despite studying from a decent school, I just mixed a number of fancy words to make it seem like I did my best to write it. But it came off with me not knowing what to write.

Of course- she wouldn't call me here if that was the reason. I know because everyone was told to write this, and I at least know that there are several people who have a far worst writing style than mine. In fact, I'm sure many of them don't even how to read or write.

After Hiratsuka had finished reading, she massaged her forehead and took a deep sigh. Her purple eyes gazed at me as if waiting for a reaction. A reaction I didn't give.

"Hikigaya, you do know the purpose of this paper, right?"

"...Well, all you told us was to write an essay about 'Our youth and how it's shaped us'."

"Yes, and the main purpose of this was to discern the mental state of adventurers. Then why did you give me this garbage of a paper?! Are you a psychopath? A cultist? Or are you just an idiot?!"

Like thunder, her voice boomed throughout the office…I'm pretty sure some guild receptionists heard that. She sighed once more and fixed her long black hair rather seductively. To be honest, being called by a woman to 'talk' in an office alone together seems rather suggestive. And Hiratsuka is fairly beautiful, had a decent job, is well respected and the such. If it weren't for her constant scowl many suitors would be lining up at her doorstep.

"Pay attention!" my work was rolled up and struck me on the head. Hey! I actually worked on that! Took me a few minutes.

Glaring at her only to see Hiratsuka looking at me intensely, I didn't really like prolonged eye contact, but something told that if I looked away, she'll smack me again.

"Your eyes, they're comparable to an undead. Maybe even to a lich."

"I take pride on being smart compared to my fellow brethren." Ha! Take that woman!

"If you were really an undead, I would've made a subjugation quest long ago. Going back to topic, what is your reason for writing something this…absurd?" If looks could kill, I would've died like five times already. Her glare is like a dragon after someone tried to steal from them. And like fighting a dragon, I felt an overwhelming fear for my life. In other words, she's absolutely terrifying!

"U-Uh-You-Well…You told us to create an essay about our youth. And well I told it just the way I reflected on my childhood. You can't criticize me for that!"

My stuttering became more apparent because I wasn't used to talking with someone face-to-face. But talking to someone as powerful as her made me even more nervous.

"If I were to send this to the capital, you would've, by no doubt be ripped off your adventurer status and be executed because of this…death threat." Death threat you say…Why the hell would they kill me for writing that?!

"Because they would think you're a terrorist…or worse a lunatic cultist." Did I say that aloud? Also, a cultist? How the hell would they mistake me for a crazy person?

"Oy brat you worry less of how they would mistake you as one and more of your essay."

Brat huh? "Of course, from someone your age, you would see me as a chil-!"

The atmosphere in her office began to tense, an aura of bloodlust appeared in front of me and a feeling of complete terror coursed through my body. My 'Fight or Flight Response' was activated and it was screaming bloody murder for me to run as far as possible.

"I-I'm-V-Very sorry for everything I've rudely said to you! I'll rewrite it I promise! Please just don't kill me!" What's worse than angering a woman, angering a woman capable of killing an entire army alone! Hiratsuka was a retired adventurer and it wouldn't surprise me if she told me to kiss her feet while apologizing for my existence.

The dense atmosphere of the room began to soften, as I let out a breath of relief. To think a guild leader is capable of such power…I'll have to choose my words wisely next time. Her presence returned to her normal state, but I was still on guard.

"Just so we're clear I'm not going to kill you…but." Well, that's reassuring. Goodbye cruel world! Thanks for absolutely nothing! To be honest, I thought she was going to say, 'I was not angry' and then force me to tell them whatever they want.

"Are you in any party?"

"Used to, but they were annoying as hell." Always bragging about their kills 'Oh look I killed an Orc' despite me being the one to weaken or when they split the reward so unfairly that I just get a few copper coins. Every Riajuu should be eaten by goblins for all I care.

"Do you have any friends then?"

"I-I pride of myself for living a neutral state, not wanting anyone to involve themselves with me!" I am above that of having false relationships with others because of appearance sake because-.

"Because no one would even notice you." Why do I continue to say these things aloud?! The corners of Hiratsuka's mouth turned upward as she was able to guess what I was about to say. Well, what put you in a good mood?

"And just as I thought…You don't have any friends."

"I don't really see the benefit of having someone who could backstab you for their own benefits!" I tried to retort, why would I trust someone other than myself?

She hummed as if knowing what I was thinking. "Then are you courting someone?" Really? I'm pretty sure that guild leaders or receptionists aren't allowed to delve into adventurer's personal life. Then again, they told us to write an essay about our childhood, so I guess there are exceptions.

"Well not yet…but how about you Hiratsuka? Are _you_ in a relationship?" If she was going to ask me something personal, then I'll return the question!

Pain quickly enveloped my abdomen as I see Hiratsuka's fist drilled into it. A loud thump was heard as my body lost its balance. It took me a few moments before I could get up. Hiratsuka was comfortably sitting on her chair as she looked at me angrily. Sighing once more, she looked at me calmly this time.

"Okay, this is what we'll do. You're going to rewrite your report. And just so we're clear…I was holding back."

"…Yes" Fearing for my life, I couldn't help but comply.

At first, I thought it was the end of that, but I was entirely wrong. To think Hiratsuka would propose something so absurd. I was caught unprepared.

"But because of your insensitive remarks have hurt my feelings" Oy woman those crocodile tears won't convince anyone. "And as a guild leader, it is my responsibility to discipline such heartless behavior for the betterment of the kingdom! Do you know how rude it is to ask for a woman's age or relationships?"

Oy stop acting hurt! Just because I asked you about _your_ personal life doesn't mean you can punish me for it! Aren't you supposed to be the _adult_ in this situation? Act your age woman and stop with your petty sense of _duty _for the kingdom, both of us know that it's going backward because of some petty argument with another nation!

"Hiratsuka, I don't see a reason for you to punish me. All I did was ask you a question and your response was to punch someone younger? Aren't you supposed to be the adult in this situation?"

"And as an adult, I must see to it that young adventurers, such as yourself become role models for even younger kids. And every wrongdoing must be punished else they slowly corrupt your very being." Tsk, she changed the topic altogether.

I cross my arms and begin to retort "You said that _you _must punish _me _that I would be guided towards the right path, but as I far as I see it, there's absolutely nothing wrong with me." No matter what people say, my very state of being a lone wolf is both beneficial to me and others. I carry out my quests with ease while they busy themselves with insincere relations.

Air escaped Hiratsuka as she exhaled even deeper. "You really are a handful…Just follow me."

The sound of paper being assembled and the documents that were once scattered throughout her desk was then fixed. Of course, I am rather cautious of whatever she is up to, so I just stood there because I was given no explanation whatsoever to what's going to happen next. And knowing this enthusiastic guild leader, I should prepare for the worst.

* * *

The 'Dragon's Nest' is a rather famous guild hall for both rookie adventurers and veterans alike, the town of which it is located is stuck between the Capital and the provinces. Giving its services to both city-dwellers and countrymen, though those from the province are more likely to request for adventurer's aid because of the near constant threat of monster invasions and the such.

Being an adventurer like myself, we are asked to help those in need and in exchange we are given rewards for fulfilling such requests. Each quest gives different amounts of reward and is divided into ranks, to lessen the deaths of arrogant rookies who think they could kill a wyvern. Heck, even Goblin Nest Subjugations are for D rank and above only!

The sound of our footsteps echoed throughout the empty halls. On the ground floor is where the guild receptionists and the quest board are located, adventurers either flock around the quest board or flirt with the receptionists...those guys should go explode. So, the second floor was rather barren, this hall is for the guild leader's office and the archives, though there are also several rooms for conference and meetings.

The click of the doorknob's mechanism as it turned stopped my train of thought, as Hiratsuka opened the door of the conference room. The room was more orderly than the last time I saw it, the chairs and table that were used to house several officials or other attendees are stacked atop each other. Though there was a single chair at the center of the entire room, and there sat a girl. She just sat there, if the war were to escalate to its climax, she alone would stay immovable.

The girl wore a variety of magical clothing suited only for mages, though her clothes were those of what a _very_ well-off adventurer would wear, she still wore it with more elegance. But the most distinct part about the girl was her ears, they were long and pointed which I easily deduced that she was an Elf…A High-Elf at that. Why would an Elf be here in the first place? Those guys think too highly of themselves to even go to the Capital let alone a guild hall.

Noticing our presence, she stared at us for a moment.

"Kachou Hiratsuka, it is quite rude of you to make me wait, have not heard the saying 'Time is Gold?'"

"Sorry about that Yukinoshita, a certain something needed to be fixed as soon as possible before it becomes a bigger mess than it already is."

"Then you should have done it as soon as possible than to waste my time here." I've always thought that Elves, in general, were arrogant, but this girl just takes it to a whole new level. I then felt the girl's cold gaze fall on me. "And what is that commoner doing here?"

So, she's of noble birth. She's probably here to make a quest like 'Pick the weeds from my gorgeous garden' or 'Carry my luggage for the rest of the day' or something lowly so they have an excuse to treat us like dirt. Source M-… My father's sister's daughter's cousin.

In fact, I'm even more sure that her rewards going to be her stepping on me, or she'll say something like 'being allowed near my presence is a reward in upon itself.' ...Elves really are the worst.

"This young lad right here wants to form a party with you." Hiratsuka signaled me to say something.

"Uhhh I'm Hikigaya Hachiman, a Rank B adventurer and-. Wait, what do you mean by 'form a party'?"

So, she's actually an adventurer? This_ noble _High Elf is an adventurer? How the hell is she an adventurer?! Shouldn't she be drinking horrible tea or attending parties or something? Unless her household became bankrupt and she was forced to work!

"Hikigaya, as punishment for your unruly behavior you are forced to create a party with her. And I'm having none of your retorts. Reflect on what you did and dignifiedly accept the consequences of your actions!" She commanded. By forcing me to form a group with someone I don't know? There has to be another reason for this.

"Yukinoshita as you can see, this deplorable sap here is a poor example of an adventurer and I personally request you to change his ways for the better of the kingdom."

"I refuse. His lecherous eyes alone remind of a goblin's, and like one he may take advantage of me while we were on a quest together." The girl covered her non-existence chest. I thought Elves were to very symbol of eternal beauty but overall, she feels lacki- OKAY! Time to stop. But in all seriousness-.

"-As if I'll take advantage of some pitiful woman like you." The room's temperature quickly turned frigid and breathing suddenly became harder to do, looking towards Yukinoshita I only saw the manifestation of an ice demon. Never have I seen a beast with such hostility. I readied my dagger without breaking stance.

"Yukinoshita that's enough!" Hiratsuka's imposing command startled the Elf girl, her aura alone disrupted the spell Yukinoshita was casting. The cold temperature began to go back to normal as the High Elf canceled her spell. Hiratsuka deeply sighed and Yukinoshita continued to drill holes into me with her eyes.

"Despite his vile tongue and dead eyes." Hiratsuka bumps her fist on my head. "He doesn't have the guts to do that. He would never do anything that would endanger his status as an adventurer. Think of him as a lowly scoundrel or a devious rascal." What's with that dysphemism.

"Oy! Why is that an insult, I'm just someone who logically thinks before doing anything."

"I see…A lowly scoundrel…devious rascal." Oy don't ignore me like that. Tch! This elf's even harder to deal with than the guild leader who can't act her age.

"Oy! How do you call a Rank B adventurer a scoundrel?! You do realize that people look up to us, right?!"

"And that is why I requested Yukinoshita to fix your rotten behavior before it infects the rest of humanity." I'm not some disease. In fact, if I influence someone, first of all, it's not _my_ fault and second, at least I was able to show them the cruelty of the world.

Yukinoshita straightened her posture as if showing off her grace. "If it's a personal request from the guild leader then it is my duty to fulfil it. I'll make that _thing_ be an exceptional part of the kingdom."

"Okay, then I'll leave him with you, be sure to keep an eye on her okay." And with that Hiratsuka left the room, her footsteps were heard so I was sure she left me alone with this Elf. Wait, what did Hiratsuka mean by 'keep an eye on her'?

Thumbing her raven hair behind her ear and fixing the wrinkles of her robe, Yukinoshita approached the door but then she just stood there. "What are you waiting for? We can't afford to lose any more time." Without any explanation, I won't be able to know what I got myself into.

"Yukinoshita, you're an adventurer?" Just to be sure.

"My~ How wonderful it is that you remember, I thought your brain has already died just like your eyes."

"Then what is your rank?" I haven't seen her before, even when we're called during emergency situations, so I doubt that she's really a veteran adventurer. Though she may have been transferred here from somewhere else.

"You Humans really are a curious race, I am of an F rank Adventurer, the 'F' I suppose means 'famed' or 'flawless'." That's the lowest rank! I'm dealing with a literal newbie! This is worse than I thought! Tch, so that's why Hiratsuka wanted me to create a party with her, she's going to die if she went on a quest alone.

"Hikigaya-kun we have already wasted enough time. Let us head to the quest board before we run out of quests." Yukinoshita quickly left and I had no choice but to follow her.

The ground floor of the guild hall has always been lively, adventurers chatting with each other, or flirting with the receptionists, while bragging of their quests, others simply looked at the quest board and picked out a mission. Adventurers of all types are here, from rangers to fighters, mages and so on. This crowd is as intoxicating as the drinks they serve because of the number of normies there are, so I normally arrive before anyone else, get a quest and not arrive until its midnight when there are fewer people. Though thanks to Hiratsuka, almost everyone was here.

Thankfully my Stealth mode activated as soon as I stepped into this normie gathering. Though unfortunately, the sight of a High Elf is enough for everyone's head to turn towards our direction.

"Is that a High-Elf? Never seen her from 'round here"

"Ohh~! She's a pretty one ain't she?"

"Ya think we could convince her to join our party? It'll be fun to have her around."

As soon as a beautiful woman walks near them, men would always lose all logic and think they have a chance by flexing or bragging about their achievements. Men really are simple-minded creatures, just breathe the same air as them and they'll suddenly think you're into them.

"Hikigaya-kun it appears that you lack the spatial awareness fit for an adventurer, the quest board is this way."

I couldn't find any will to retort and just followed her towards the quest board. I don't know if she's unaware of what the other adventurer was saying or she's just ignoring them. Skimming the board, I found none of my usual jobs anywhere. Thanks to Hiratsuka and this newbie adventurer, most of the high paying yet easy missions have been taken, these two are _literally_ costing me money!

"Hikigaya-kun, how about this one." Yukinoshita pointed towards a poster, with a picture of a _fucking_ dragon on it! "It pays us a large amount and I'm sure we'll be able to accomplish it by the end of the day."

Accomplish?! We'll be minced meat by the end of the day! No matter how magically proficient you are, taking down a dragon requires at least one S Rank adventurer! Elves really are arrogant! They think they're capable of something even though they really can't. Also, if you were to replace the dragon picture with one of Hiratsuka's, I'm sure no one's going to notice a thing.

"Absolutely not! First, we're not even capable of scratching a dragon's scale let alone injuring one and second, you do realize that we're not even qualified to take on this quest!"

This Yukinoshita is _very stubborn_. "Then how about this." I pointed towards a poster with a picture of a rat on it. "This may not seem much but if we are able to kill enough ra-"

"I refuse, being near such creatures is repulsive enough but to fight several outweighs the price altogether."

I do agree with her, rats are rather repulsive, especially since we'll be fighting them in the sewers, I heard from Hatch that he and his team were annihilated by the mischief of rats. Rats are also capable of growing up to two meters long, they're also capable of penetrating through iron armor so they're a lot dangerous than one would think. Also, they smell so, you wouldn't catch me fighting one of those things.

If we continued to argue about which quest to choose then we'll be here all day! Speaking of day, there's a mission that told us to 'be married to them for the rest of the day'. If there was no indication of who requested this then I'll conclude that this was posted by Hiratsuka…Someone should really marry her.

It seems like there's no other choice. "How about this one." I pointed towards a poster of a rabbit, it told us to hunt down Perpetual Hares that liked to eat the crops of a local farm. "This one doesn't require us to kill all the rabbits, every head rewards us with 10 copper coins so I'll say it's a steal."

Any experienced adventurer would avoid low-Rank quests like these because of its pay BUT little do they know that small jobs like these require less work and there are times where they actually pay better than higher Ranked quests. And since this is an F Rank quest most adventurers didn't even give it a second glance!

"'Hunt down a few rabbits that's been ravaging our farm.' A farmer is requesting our aid to help protect his livelihood and it does seem like an easy task, then we must take this one."

Surprisingly, she's rather enthusiastic with this one. Like I care, so long as we get paid, I'll accept it. I wonder if they'll give us the rabbits as a bonus, I heard those things were delicious! In fact, maybe I'll write the next essay about _What I ate for dinner _or _How yummy rabbit stew is!_ Or something equally annoying. I ripped the poster and proceeded to the counter, Yukinoshita followed suit.

"Good morning Hikigaya!" The guild receptionist bowed and dawned her ever-present smile. For others, her smile is that of an angel that greets you every time you meet them but for someone like me, that smile is one of the biggest and most polished masks I've ever seen…and I see her every day. That mask was to act polite and kind towards even the unruliest adventurers and behind that mask is her true self, a rotten girl who only wishes to marry a noble or someone who rides a majestic white horse and is loaded with money, like the wish of every other girl. If men are pigs who always think lustfully of the opposite sex, then women are snakes who manipulate others to get what they want or at least try to. And that is why don't trust anyone.

I presented the poster to her. The smell of ink dispelled the alcohol in the air, the ink is not something pleasant to the nose but at least it's a new smell. Also, another reason why I don't come here late, because a lot of adventurer's drink from dawn until dusk! Do you guys have anything else better to do than drinking? Like you know, _quests_?!

"Ahh~ I didn't know you created another party?!" So, she noticed Yukinoshita standing beside me. How observant. Though I was surprised she didn't ask of Yukinoshita's Elf bloodline.

"And here you go~!" The receptionist gave us our travel pass. "Good luck with your quest! Also, Hachiman be considerate okay!" The guild girl shouted as she gave me a wink. Oy! What do you mean 'considerate'?

We moved past the sea of adventurers and went outside. The rays of the sun quickly blindly me until my eyes slowly adjusted to the bright outside. Looking over at Yukinoshita, she looks as elegant as before. And despite just starting my day, I couldn't help but feel tired already…This is going to be a long day.

* * *

**AN: This is my ****_very _****first story I've ever published on the internet. To be honest, I'm rather surprised at the lack of fantasy stories Oregairu has. I mean it's impossible that I'm the only one who imagined Hachiman as a Rogue or something, but anyways hope you enjoyed this story and feel free to tell if I made some mistakes in my grammar and tell me what you think of this story and how I could improve my writing or this story.**

**A Basscus could only imagine.**


	2. Ideals clash harder than Ice

**Ideals clash harder than Ice. (2.1)**

* * *

People have always looked down on farmers, thinking of them as simple-minded blokes who are behind the times. Many associate farmers to being stupid or poor because of the way farming is portrayed as a dirty job that needs dirty people to do it. Yet day by day, farmers are facing hardships, from diseases to monsters to pests, everyday farmers have to deal with this shit just to survive and what are the nobles whose responsibility it is to protect their people, whether it be their lives or their livelihood? They're being snobby and have their foot so far up their ass that they couldn't care less if they cared at all. Nobles indulge in riches while their servants, those below them act as their stepping stones. And there exist Nobles who often grind their feet on these stepping stones until it gets destroyed or they get bored and move to another one. If their roles were reversed, I would gladly watch as those nobles suffer the same fate as their servants. The luxury items that they indulge themselves with like food are thoroughly cultivated by farmers who don't even receive an ounce of gratitude, instead, they are treated with nothing but ignorance and irk.

The kingdom would always need people to do the dirty jobs, to be the lowest of the low or to be the scapegoat they could blame everything to, and yet those who sacrifice themselves to do these works are underappreciated and insulted, they are thought of like dirt and are treated with disgust. The weak have no power to oppose those above them and the strong only care about manipulating them, the strong do not care if their pawns have problems, all they care about is using them for themselves. That is why I don't like to work because people who don't deserve it are the ones benefitting from it.

The sound of the wooden wall of the carriage being struck made me look towards a certain elf girl. Her expression shows only frustration as she tries to sit properly while the carriage shakes due to the uneven roads of the countryside. She then looked at me with the same irritation.

"Hikigaya-kun, was it not better to walk than to ride this carriage?"

"If you want to arrive two weeks late with a farm infested with rabbits then be my guest." Judging from how she's been acting for the past two hours, she isn't used to riding a carriage or maybe this carriage's too cheap for a noble's certain tastes.

The carriage I rented was, of course, the cheapest one. Like I'll spend extra money just to keep our _princess_ here comfortable, she'll have to earn her own money if she wants to live as _luxurious_ as she did before.

"You're an adventurer now, get used to this."

Yukinoshita looked like she was about to say something but didn't. Works for me, no more conversations with her. Instead of continuing to stare at the Elf girl, I proceeded to check my equipment.

The cheapest blankets I could buy, a few meters of rope, a lot of Mentha Leaves, fishing nets and a pouch full of Earth Magic Stones. Adjusting my leather gloves, I made sure I had a few knives as well and my dagger is safely sheathed. Looking over at Yukinoshita I saw her sport the same robes though this time she carried a staff with a bluish gem on its tip, likely for casting spells.

Once again, I heard a thump and this time I couldn't help but smirk at her discomfort.

* * *

"We're here!" I heard the coachman's voice as he peeks through the window. Yukinoshita grabbed her staff and went outside, I on the other double-checked my equipment.

"Hikigaya-kun, it's impolite of you to keep our client waiting as well as delaying the coachman of his departure."

"I'm checking my equipment, better have everything than die killing rabbits. Also, I _paid _the coachman so it's _his _job to wait for me and it's _our _job to makes sure we'll be able to kill rabbits."

Rearranging my things, I hopped off the carriage. The feeling of the soft unpaved ground gave me nostalgia, how long has it been since I last went to the countryside? Probably 2 years ago. The fresh air was refreshing…if not for the strong stench of manure, looking over at Yukinoshita and she had her hands covering her lower face.

The farm itself was a beautiful sight to behold, a golden field of wheat shining brilliantly due to the setting sun, though the part near the thick forest was barren and destroyed. It may have ruined the beauty of the farm but at least it reminded us what we need to do. And in the distance, a wooden house and barn were visible. Seeing no one working in the fields, we went towards the only buildings on this farm.

"I've read of wheat fields before but seeing it in person is a lot more than I've anticipated. To think Perpetual Hares would ravage such lands."

"Hares are wild beasts, no matter how harmless they may seem in your arms, they are still vicious creatures who think only of surviving and reproducing, not caring of what consequences their actions have." Humans are really like wild creatures. We don't care if our actions directly or indirectly affect others, all we care about is living and reproducing. I could even compare these Perpetual Hares or any other beast to _nobles._ Impulsive, Prideful, Aggressive. They don't care how much suffering they bring to others, they don't care if they stomp and destroy the lives of many, all they care about is living _their_ lives to the fullest and creating new generations of idiots to ravage the lands dry.

Speaking of nobles, as soon as we reached the front porch Miss High-Elf knocked on the door. I heard some conversation and then stomping. Yukinoshita nudged me forward and with the swing of the door, I was face to face with a pair of turquoise eyes. Those eyes belonged to a young boy with dark gray hair, as soon as he saw us, he politely excused himself.

"Umm~ Could you please wait for a second?"

And then he closed the door on our faces, specifically my face. Oy! Brat you shouldn't slam the door at my face! I already have enough problems to deal with and a concussion isn't going to help.

The door soon opened to reveal a large man with bluish hair. He wore a brown tunic that seemed like it could burst any moment. This is the first time I've seen a farmer as large as him, if I were to see him in a forest, I'll _definitely_ mistake him for a Clavus Bear, though his bluish hair would make it less likely.

"Ya must be the 'ere fer the quest?" Not only did he look like a bear, but he also sounded like one too. He then offered his hand forward. To seem professional, I took it his hand and the feeling of being grabbed by a bear sent shivers down my spine.

"A firm handshake...Seems like yar' a capable boy ain't ya. But hey where are ma manners. I'm Farmer Salem pleased to meet ya!"

Our client then gestured us to come in inside though Yukinoshita seemed reluctant, as soon as I entered, she did so as well. I heard her whisper "Sorry for the intrusion" How polite.

The inside of the cabin was rather comforting for me, it reminded me of my home…well my last home, though there is _one_ key difference which surprised me. As Farmer Salem gestured us to sit down, I couldn't help but stare at the wall _literally_ filled with portraits, literal paintings of his family. Just looking at one section of the wall and I could count at least 8, even the tables have paintings. If this guy told me he's a stalker, I wouldn't be surprised! Paintings specifically portraits are expensive, they range from ten silver coins for a small picture and ten gold coins for a massive one and he had two! Studying the pictures, I noticed Farmer Salem, someone who appears to be his wife and three other children. I quickly recognized the young boy since _he _slammed the door on my face though the other two girls are unfamiliar…Except maybe for the older one.

"I'mma family man as ya can see!" Salem posed pridefully. And then he began to blabber about his family, Salem talked about his wife having another child and he has to buy another painting after their child's birth…I would've said congratulations but the fact that he's going to spend more money on paintings made me think twice. My family only had ten pictures you kno~w and a majority of them were portraits of either my little sister or my parents _with _my little sister…I wasn't included in any of them. Yukinoshita coughed to grab Salem's attention and get back to topic, good thing too I feel nervous because of the sheer amount of family picture this house has.

"Do you have any information about these Perpetual Hares we could use?" Yukinoshita cut him off.

"Ah sorry 'bout that." Farmer Salem then told us everything he knew about the rabbits. He told us that those animals used to be seclusive often running off as soon as they sensed your presence. It was rare for him to find one in the forest while he's hunting but Salem's never seen a rabbit intentionally provoke him and even try to fight him off. Salem compared to a small pissed-off kitten. "They even began 'ttacking ma crops! Little pests keep comin' and comin'!"

Perpetual Hares are known to reproduce and mature very quickly but if what Salem is true, they either give birth to more or they mature even quicker and worst-case scenario…Both.

"At first, I thought them rabbits were just nibbling on a few stalks ya know but 'bout a month ago, their attacks became more frequent 'n it's almost impossible ta not see one ev'ry mornin'!"

He continued to tell us how those rabbits seemed to abnormally grow in size, he even said that he found one that's as big as a dog. He tried setting some traps for them but every time they completely avoided it.

"If dis' continues…I'm not sure we'll make it by da end of da month." You know if you were to sell those portraits, I'm sure you'll survive for at least a year…even with these rabbits destroying your crops. Also, by the way these creature's behaviors have changed, I'm not sure what to say…Perpetual Hares aren't necessarily this aggressive to invade territories knowing that there are Humans around nor are they smart enough to evade traps. In fact, most wild creatures normally avoid any if not every interaction with Humans but to think they'll come and attack human territories…something doesn't feel right.

"Me and ma eldest daughter used ta hunt these things ev'ry mornin' but she's been comin' home less and less. Though she's already 17, she's still ma baby girl ya know?" And we're back to his family… great.

"Ya know, she looks around your age…Though if ya ask fer her hand, ya have to go through me ya hear!" As if I'll court someone I've never met, I'll probably forget her name as soon as we leave. Listening to our conversation was the brat from earlier, he seems very invested in what we're discussing. Inspecting him, I'd say he's around the same age as my sister…Though if he even gets close to her, I'll crush him like a bug. Just imagining it makes me angry so I looked at him with the power of my dead-fish eyes, capable of disgusting even the foulest goblin and because of that they called me the 'Goblin Starer'...Though that's more of an insult than a title, I'll gut those who named me that later. As soon as the brat noticed my stare, he paled and went somewhere. Farmer Salem continued to blabber about his family until Yukinoshita told something...surprising.

"Despite my appearances, I'm around 151 years old in human years, but in Elven years I am just 17 years old." …What? Farmer Salem's expression was of utter shock, I'm sure my face is the same. I know that Elves specifically High-Elves have long lifespans to think someone as young as Yukinoshita is 151 years old! That's ridiculous! Even if I _were_ into older women, I wouldn't want to be paired with someone who's _older_ than my grandmother…From now on, I'll refer to Yukinoshita as Obaa-san. After our initial surprise, we continued with our discussion of those hares.

* * *

"As Farmer Salem said, Perpetual Hares only appear during nighttime in an effort to evade its predators, so it sound logic to hunt them down during the night. " Obaa-san stated. I just nodded in agreement. From the distance I see the sky darken and the red moon and green moon rise. Only the sound of nocturnal critters filled the air, as soon as we entered the forest, I felt that something was off. The feeling of my sleeve being pulled made me look at the Elf Girl.

"There's a massive amount of mana in this forest, maybe this is the cause of the rabbit's abnormalities."

Because Yukinoshita is a magic caster, she instantly felt the surplus of mana in the air. Farmer Salem never mentioned anything about this though I doubt he even is a magic caster or if he even visited the forest during nighttime.

The eerie sound of the forest echoed throughout, the moons gave little light as we traversed the forest though thankfully both of us were used to seeing in the dark. In the distance, I saw something moving and with a quick signal to Yukinoshita we slowly approached it. Peeking over a bush, we saw eight rabbits nibbling on some wheatgrass. They haven't noticed our presence and Yukinoshita began to cast a spell, creating more mana to add to the already excessive amounts of it in the air. She then wielded this energy to control reality as she saw fit. I was ready to throw my knives as soon as Yukinoshita was done casting.

"_Ihma Alha Ousiralthel_" Four stakes made out of ice appeared in the air, Yukinoshita quickly launched them towards the rabbits, splattering blood around the place. My knives rapidly spun through the air and perfectly hit their marks without obliterating the bodies. Unlike my clean kill, Yukinoshita's was a bloody mess. I thought nobles didn't like to see blood not just nobles, I thought High Elves specifically did not like the sight of blood…either that's just a stereotype or this Elf girl's a psychopath…

"_Just so we're clear I'm not going to kill you…but" _I suddenly recalled what Hiratsuka said to me. Was this Hiratsuka's plan all along? Forcing me to join a party with a total stranger and then have me to go with a murderer in the hopes of her getting rid of me! That woman!

With a ding! Our adventurer tags glowed purple as it confirmed our kills, it also stopped my conspiracy of Hiratsuka's attempt to have me killed. This necklace is a special adventuring item which tells adventurers of their progress in a quest. This 'Reabacus' is an accessory enchanted with magic to make sure it tallies our kills and or items we've collected. To make sure this accessory doesn't alert monsters or beasts, only people wearing the Reabacus could see its glow or hear it. The Reabacus also acted as an adventurer's identification allowing them to go to other guild halls while pertaining their rank. Long before the creation of this accessory, adventurers were tasked to bring pieces of evidence to confirm the completion of their quests before they're given their rewards. It's a good thing they've invented this thing because you'll _never_ see me stuffing corpses in my pocket to appease some stupid client.

"Hikigaya-kun it seems like there are other Perpetual Hares in that direction." Yukinoshita whispered while pointing towards a tall patch of grass. I nodded in hesitation before we headed there. Looking over, there are at least 10 Perpetual Hares but what's surprising is they're feasting on a small fox, the white fur of the rabbits was soaked red with blood. Perpetual Hares are herbivores, so they're normally targeted by predators like foxes but seeing their roles reversed was something else, either they just found a dead fox and started to eat it or…they actually hunted and killed one. It raised a couple of questions, but I have no time to worry about that. The rabbits noticed our presence and quickly made a run for it.

"_Erima Zenvi Yoko Rinko" _The surrounding area was quickly encased in ice, including the rabbits, the surrounding tree became ice pillars and the ground itself froze. If I'm correct, this was the same spell Yukinoshita was about to cast earlier…And Hiratsuka was able to negate it with her aura, that woman's frightening! I mean Yukinoshita casted an Advanced Lesser Spell and she did nothing but was still able to interfere. As she was casting another spell, I heard the noise of what seemed to be another hare approaching us fast. And from the shrub, a dog-sized rabbit leaped at Yukinoshita. Given my close proximity and quick reaction, I was able to unsheathe my dagger and slice the rabbit in half before reaching her.

Seeing that I've dealt with the abnormally large rabbit she continued to chant. Several smaller spikes appeared and stabbed the frozen rabbits. It seems like the other four hares were able to break free from the spell and made a break for it. I threw 3 knives and them, hitting them on mark. The remaining creature was about to escape when it suddenly stopped and dodged something. Not wasting a second, I threw another knife at it.

My Reabacus glowed once more tallying my kill, looking over at the scattered remains of the hares I couldn't help but feel wary of a certain elf girl. Yukinoshita may be an F Rank but she easily showed her talents as a mage. She was able to simultaneously freeze an area and create stakes, it takes a lot of focus to even cast a spell and you shouldn't be distracted, or it'll cause a Rebound. Yet Yukinoshita was able to casted two spells without even breaking a sweat, to think someone who's this skilled in magic actually exists or it's something else...

Every spell has a certain requirement or drawback to it. But all spells have one common weakness, Mental Fatigue. Every time a mage uses a spell, they consume mana from their body and release it into the air and using their mental capabilities they shape this mana to whatever form they need it to be, whether it be creating icicles or controlling the earth. The more you mentally exhaust yourself by using spells, the more likely you are to cause a Rebound on yourself.

Another thing that should be brought up is the dog-sized rabbit, its size alone told me something is wrong but for it to attack us is surprising, to say the least. Animals, in general, don't approach sentient races because they could easily be killed by them. Only large animals confident in their abilities are the ones aggressive though most often than not, they are still killed. But a hare, only the size of a pet jumped at us with fangs capable of piercing flesh. Maybe the extreme amounts of mana are affecting them both their behavior and physical appearance? I mean we saw a drove of hares eat a fox and Yukinoshita was almost bitten by one, so they have developed a sense for flesh.

Hunting more of these fluffy creatures before the strike of dawn would be our best option if we wanted to maximize the reward we get. I was about to head out to hunt some down, but Yukinoshita was inspecting some plant near the rabbit's corpse. Maybe Yukinoshita's a plant-lover, I mean Elves mostly live in forests and I guess she _misses_ home or something and that plant gave her nostalgia or something…Shit! I forgot to takeout the dead bodies from earlier!

"Yukinoshita, I'll get rid of the rabbits."

"…" No response huh? Well, who cares. I went to the area we first encountered the creatures. Looking at the carnage that Yukinoshita dealt on the rabbits, I couldn't help but frown…Her work was sloppy and no I'm not some cannibalistic doctor, Yukinoshita literally obliterated them. All that was left of it was a lot of blood and some chunks of flesh to prove the existence of these animals. Still, something is off with the way she uses magic, I'll just have to stay cautious because I don't know if she's that exceptional in using magic or she's using some form of trick. I have a task to do.

The forest trembled as I threw the Earth Magic Stone onto the ground, a hole appeared and swallowed the four rabbit corpses along with the chunks of meat. Utilizing Magic Stones really are the best! Especially to people like me who can't even use magic. Instead of working my ass to dig holes all I did was throw a stone at it and then instant hole, to throw whatever corpse you need to get rid of, maybe I could bury some Riajuus or that merchant who tried to rip me off…I'll add his name to my 'People to Kill' list, I should also add that Elf girl's name on it I mean she insulted me multiple times _and _treated me like _I_ was some beast…Heck, she called me a goblin the first time I even meet her. Someday Hachiman someday.

After I took care of that, I returned to where Yukinoshita stayed. She was staring intensely on some small plant with reddish buds on it. Oy! Stop staring at that plant, it might turn to ice…I-Is that what she's trying to do?

"Hikigaya-kun are you familiar with this plant?"

"Do I look like someone who's interested in plants?" To be honest, I'm couldn't care less about plants. There are better things to know about like monster behavior, their weaknesses and what is the best position to sleep on your bed. So, I find knowledge about 'plants' irrelevant.

Yukinoshita sighed in disappointed, Obaa-san you'll look older if you keep doing that you kno~w. Tch! That receptionist brat's infecting me with her strange language.

"This plant here is called a 'Bibulous Herb', a special type of plant used in potions. This plant safely extracts the mana out of the body. Normally used in potions for would-be mages to better release their mana and properly control it. "So, in concept, it is able to drain mana from whatever it touches. Maybe the reason why the rabbit tried to avoid it because the plant could drain its mana? Do Perpetual Hares even use magic let alone have mana. As I stared at the small plant, I remembered that as soon as we entered this forest, we literally saw hundreds of these. Some of them have already bloomed.

"It continues to surprise me how useless you are despite you being a B rank Adventurer." Oy! I worked hard in getting this far! Show some respect you newbie! Also-.

"How the hell am I useless?! First of all, I was the one who picked the quest that actually matched _your_ skill." Could you clarify how you're strong enough to slay a _dragon_?

"Even without your help I would have picked this quest." As if! You were going for that Dragon Quest, weren't you! Being able to kill rabbits doesn't mean you'll be able to kill a dragon.

"Secondly! I was the one who negotiated with our client!" Though it was mostly about the reward and how long we're going to stay but still!

"Though I was the one who actually set the negotiations to motion, you were utterly taken by the farmer's family life." He just kept on talking! It wasn't my fault he's that proud of his family.

"Also, even without your help, I would've been able to negotiate with him at the same time knowing more of these creatures. Overall, I am more socially competent than you. If I asked you when the last time was you talked to a client, I would not be surprised if you said _never_." Adventurers are _required _to talk to the client before embarking on the quest so your arguments invalid!

"And lastly, I killed those stupid animals so _we_ could complete the quest!" I'm pretty sure I did most of the heavy lifting here!

"Once again, something I could've done all by myself. As someone who can use magic, I am far superior in killing these beasts than you are" To hell with you, you devil woman! Like you'll be able to kill these rabbits all by yourself! Unsheathing two knives, I threw them towards a shaking bush that's behind me. Faint dying sounds escaped from the hares as they lost their lives and my necklace glowed purple.

I looked at Yukinoshita dead straight in the eyes, she did so the same...As if I'll back down to some F Rank adventurer wannabe.

"It seems like you're confident of your hunting capabilities. Then let's play a game to see whoever is better in hunting. The winner could order the loser to do whatever they want." I don't normally gamble, often preferring a perfect plan than to rely on chance but with the way she challenged me? I hope she's ready to eat my dust.

"Fine by me, I hope you're ready to lose." She gave me that smile that said, 'As if'. Oh, you're in for a trip. The same rustling of grass was heard, I flung my knives towards the sound. Expecting to hear flesh being pierced instead I heard a cracking sound as the sharpened blades struck a wall of ice. Faint noises came from the same direction after Yukinoshita has launched her missiles. Tch! Cheap Trick. Knowing that she had already taken care of those rabbits I went ahead to find more…only this time Yukinoshita froze the ground solid. She then proceeded to skate a past me. Oy! Don't think I didn't see that smirk you vying bitch. You're so on.

* * *

**Ideals clash harder than Ice (2.2)**

* * *

"It appears that your higher rank is for display only." Tch! She literally cheated! Every single time I was about to attack Yukinoshita would create a wall of ice and block my sight! She would then freeze the ground I'm standing on while she goes to find more rabbits! Plus they even seemed attracted to Yukinoshita, every time she casted a spell that killed three rabbits, six more would appear. By midnight, I was conflicted to shove my head to the ground because the constant ding of her Reabacus almost drove me insane.

The fields of wheat quickly came to view as we exited the forest. Strapped to my shoulder was a pouch, with a dead rabbit inside…What? It would be a waste to just throw it out plus I heard some rumors that Perpetual Rabbits are particularly tasty though hard to hunt and seeing the sheer amount of them in the forest. I would be dammed if I didn't even try one.

"It's rather barbaric of you to eat such creatures, Hiki-Brute-kun." Oy! What's with that uncreative insult! You literally just added another word between my name. Tch! Even that noble scum has a better way of mocking me, by _actually_ calling me something that's part of my name…Oh wow, did that bring some unfortunate memories I wished to get rid of…Why the hell do I always remember these wretched memories? It literally takes all my willpower not to commit suicide.

Being reminded of this god-awful memory, I didn't want to argue. Though it would make it so much better if she would wipe that grin off her face! Or else I'll do it myself!

From the fields, I saw Farmer Salem and his son carrying some haystacks. Noticing us, Farmer Salem went towards and greeted us with a smile.

"How was ya hunt? Saw how plenty those bastards are?" Plenty would be an understatement…

"Yeah…Mind if we cleaned up? Also, could I use your stove?" I've haven't eaten since yesterday so I'm somewhat starving. Glancing towards Yukinoshita, she doesn't appear to be hungry, maybe High Elves don't need sustenance like food? It seems like she wants to say something…Probably more insults.

"Use it as ya see fit! There some veggies on da table wouldn't mind if ya used some. Thanks fer ya hard work! Am sure them pests wouldn't be buggin' us fer a while." I was about to head inside when Yukinoshita pulled my sleeves yet again.

"Hikigaya-kun it appears that your eyes are dead after all. Can you not see that Farmer Salem and his son are having trouble lifting those haystacks? It would be proper as an adventurer to assist them." Like hell-.

"We've spent the entire night hunting, unlike your _flawless_ body I'm tired plus we're not being payed to do farm work, we're being _paid_ to kill pests." You can't force me to work Obaa-san, to work is to lose and the only reason I'm even working is to one day save some noble woman and have her fall in love with me, then I'll live with luxury as a househusband! While having some servant give in to my every whim.

"Hikigaya-kun" Nope, Sorry Obaa-san no matter what you say I won't lift even a single stalk of straw… 'To work is to lose' and I'm going to stick to my beliefs until the very end…Not even your most ferocious glare would force me to work even more...Narrowing your eyes won't help either, Nuh-Uh not gonna budge…Is it just me or did suddenly become colder, I could've sworn it was a few degrees hotter…

"OKAY! I'm gonna help! Would please stop doing that?!" To hell! Would you _always_ try to freeze everything solid just to get your way? And why do I keep attracting woman-like demons?! I already have those two at the guild! Am I stuck in some Horror novel? Because this is getting ridiculous. Why can't I get a woman-like angel for once, an angel that I would duty-bound myself for all eternity? Just imagining a gorgeous angel call my name makes me happy '_Hachiman, Hachiman, Hachiman' _The winter-like air quickly returned to its summer heat, and again Yukinoshita's smiling like an idiot.

"If you're so eager to make me help them, why don't _you_ do it?" Why am I the only who's going to help, she's the one who suggested it.

"It is improper for a lady to even do such menial labor, that is why it is a gentleman's duty to fulfill such task." To hell with being a gentleman! I seek for true gender equality, where everyone is equal! And I quote from a fellow adventurer. 'I yearn for true gender equality! I don't have the patience for one who talks about female privileges when it suits them and then complains about someone "not being a man" when it's convenient.' Truly a wonderful quote…I'll have to visit him later.

With this woman's silver tongue I'll be damned to even win an argument. But someday I would and on that day, I swear I'll rub all over your face Yukinoshita, mark my words. Approaching Farmer Salem, I asked if I could help, I was expecting him to tell me not to worry but because of Yukinoshita's interjection, I was forced to help.

* * *

"Ah, Onii-san! Thanks for the help." Like I even had a choice. Well I did, I either helped carry some haystack or be frozen to death by some unhelpful bitch.

"Don't call me 'Onii-san' I'm not your older brother." I placed the last haystack on the pile. The brat was still staring at me for some reason.

"What?" Me being stared at makes me somewhat uncomfortable but I mean who wouldn't feel the same? When I stare at other all I hear is 'creepy' or 'gross' or something depreciating and being in a similar situation I would agree with it, it's fucking creepy!

"It's nothing Onii-san…It's just you remind of my older sister…After I started attending school, she well she decided to become an adventurer." So your sister became an adventurer in other to help with their family's expenses, especially after the Perpetual Hares plagued their farm. But if Farmer Salem were to _sell_ those portraits, I'm sure she wouldn't even _need_ to work, I mean it being their family picture aside, portraits are expensive!

"You're free to associate me with that sister of yours, just don't call me Onii-san." Brat! I'm not your older brother!

"U-Umm~ Okay Hikigaya-san…" Much _better_!

Since that was the last stack I headed towards their cabin, Farmer Salem thanked me multiple times and even told us to rest up and 'make yer self at home!'. Seeing no downside whatsoever to his offer, I graciously accepted and headed towards their house for some much-needed rest, because god-knows I need one.

The metallic sound of my knives as they hit the floor was loud, but I was too tired to even care. Farmer Salem was kind enough to give us the spare rooms for our equipment and clothes. I set my backpack aside and folded a couple of blankets to create a makeshift pillow and mattress. Napping without a mattress may seem uncomfortable to some but to us adventurers, it is something you'll get used to hell there are times when we're forced to sleep atop trees. But nothing could ever beat an actual bed. My eyes were becoming heavy and my body was slowly loosening its muscle in preparation for my slumber that is until I remembered something…Shit! The rabbit, I forgot about the rabbit!

The sound of my footsteps echoing throughout the cabin, but it seemed like no one is here…even Yukinoshita. Eh, who cares. A pouch was on the table with a quick check I sighed in relief knowing that the meat didn't spoil, I didn't salt because I wanted to cook curry not eat jerky! I then grabbed the rabbit from it and began to chop up some vegetables. Farmer Salem didn't really tell me how much I can't use so I might as well abuse his kindness. The sounds that could be heard from the kitchen are a knife dicing up some onion and a sizzling pot of oil filled with green chilies, as soon as the oil began to hiss I placed the onions inside the pot…Why the hell am I narrating the way I cook my curry, it's not like anyone could even replicate this dish I mean who could even hear my thoughts?

The pleasant aroma of the Rabbit Curry quickly filled my nose, it even made my stomach rumble. Normally I would eat curry with rice, but beggars can't be choosers, I guess. With a wooden spoon, I scooped a part of it and was ready to indulge in my very own cooking. Until I noticed Yukinoshita, clad in what seems to some sort of garb. I could smell the scent of lavenders as she moved tow-. Okay, brain have some self-control! This woman literally lacks almost every sex appeal!

"I did not expect that you're able to cook."

"Woman, every adventurer needs to know how to cook." Or at least know what is edible and what's not. Still, remember the time when I ate some poisonous berries that were supposed to look like a special delicacy…Couldn't show myself to civilization for a week, face swelled up and made me look like some ugly-ass ogre.

"No, what I meant is I didn't expect someone of your kind to be able to prepare a meal without burning the house down." How incompetent do you even see me?!

"Very much so that I doubt that your dish is palatable no matter how wonderful it smells." You can insult my eyes, but you can't insult my di-. Wait did she just compliment my dish? She said 'wonderful' right? Yukinoshita's even looks hungry, to solidify that fact, the low rumble could be heard by anyone in the kitchen. She casted her head downwards and I couldn't help but smirk. Just to bully her, I proceeded to munch on my meal.

"Ahh~ That hit the spot!" Yukinoshita was even staring at my cleaned plate. Are you that hungry? I really want to continue bullying her but for some reason, my brains telling me to actually give her food or else something bad will happen and with her, I couldn't risk it.

"Oy! Yukinoshita would you want so-."

"Well if you insist, it would be rude of me not to accept." I haven't even asked you yet, are you _that_ hungry? Grabbing another bowl, I filled it with some curry and gave it to Yukinoshita. She clapped her hands and said 'Itadakimasu' or something and proceeded to eat with elegance…Woman that's Rabbit Curry, not a 10-star meal just hurry up, then again maybe I underestimate my cooking skills.

Finishing the meal, she began to critic my meal saying 'It's too spicy' or 'The meats to hard' or something like that. You didn't even thank me you ungrateful Elf girl!

"Ohh~ Is dat curry I smell?" It appears that my dish has attracted yet another one and this time it's a bear, accompanied by his young cub.

"Mhmm! Smells delicious! Mind if I asked fer some?"

"No problem, after all, it was your stove and vegetables I used." It's better for someone to pay their debt to you than to have them continuously thanking you after you reject their offer. Farmer Salem thanked me and grabbed two bowls of curry, he gave one to his son who looked at weirdly before taking a spoonful. Was just me or did his eyes sparkle like stars?

"Mhmm~! Onii-san this is delicious!" This brat called me Onii-san again!

"Oy bra-!" …Unadulterated fear. I've felt this feeling before, from Hiratsuka. It felt like I was being stared at by some predator. Looking at the kid, he only looked confused. I looked towards Yukinoshita to see if she's the one setting off my 'Fight or Flight Response' but it seems she had left…That leaves.

"Hmm~ what were ya going ta say Hikigaya-san?" If he looked like a bear before, now he might as well be one right now!

"U-Umm Oy! 'Brother' do…do you want some more curry?" Farmer Salem's posture reclined to the chair and the air became lighter, is it just me or I keep attracting people who want to kill me.

"Oh, thanks Onii-san!" My eyes twitched as the boy gave me the sincerest smile I've ever seen. If I continued talking, I'm sure my body would be nailed to a cross as a warning to those rabbits. Speaking of rabbits, I wonder how we'll kill those damn things.

"Farmer Salem, do you have some oil I could use."

"Fer lanterns? Yeah, some at the barn…Don't burn the forest ya hear me" It seems like Farmer Salem already has an idea of what I'm going to do. By setting those pests on fire, I'll be able to efficiently kill a lot of them almost instantly and thankfully I already had a plan.

I excused myself and went towards the barn. Outside, Yukinoshita was seemingly meditating as small specks of light fluttered her. This is the first time I've seen a mage controlling their mana like that. Not wanting to bother her so I went towards the barn. Opening the large door, the dark inside was illuminated by the sun at its highest point. Looking around I found a couple of jars of oil behind the haystack we've piled together earlier. As if I'll be able to lift all of them, I checked around the barn to find something I could use. Lo and Behold there was an old wheelbarrow trapped under some scrap. Placing the jars on it, I headed out. Grabbing my equipment, I then proceeded to the forest.

* * *

**Ideals clash harder than Ice (2.3)**

* * *

From the distance, a flock of birds flew into the air as the forest floor once again shook. As the Earth Magic Stone came in contact with the ground, a gaping hole appeared. Gently, I dropped a blanket inside the trap and poured oil onto it, the flammable liquid was quickly absorbed by the blanket and not by the ground. I placed the fishing nets down then tied some rope to it before draping another blanket onto the pitfalls and then covering it with some dirt and leaves would hide it in plain sight but the light smell of the oil could ward off those rabbits, so I placed some Mentha Leaves on it to hide the smell. As the air blew, I could smell the leaves minty scent. And with that, my traps are complete…My problem now is how I'm going to get them here.

After applying some more finishing touches to my pitfalls, I returned to the farm. I followed the marks I placed on the trees to make sure I don't forget the location of my traps. The blistering heat of noon bombarded me and a coat of sweat quickly formed, which made me feel disgusting…god, I hate working. I may not be the strongest adventurer around. Having spent an entire night killing at rabbits, then being forced to do some menial labor afterward I cooked curry and proceeded to create pitfalls while moving a wheelbarrow filled with oil and on top of that I was sleep-deprived. Even though I have a high constitution even compared to other adventurers I still feel fatigued So, if you combined all those factors you get!

"Zzzzz" A sleeping Hachiman, I don't remember much of how I got the cabin, nor would I want to know how much I slept but I was tired okay! I would've preferred an actual bed over this makeshift one but hey adventurers can't be choosers...or is it beggars? Well even without a real bed I'm sure I could sleep for days…I miss my bed already.

"_Hachiman wake up Hachiman, wake up Hachiman_" _In front of me was an angel. Her silver hair is like at of precious metal, it even matched her sparkling blue eye that was an oasis in the middle of the scorching desert. Slowly she approached me, our faces a few inches apart, I could even feel the warmest of her breath. Our lips were gradually getting closer. Was this what they called the 'morning kiss'? Gaining whatever confidence I needed, I closed the distance to our lips._

Instead of the feeling of soft luscious lips, I felt a sharp pain as I was hit by the butt end of a newbie adventurer's staff. Woman! Anger some drunkard over a sleeping man else receive his fury…Except maybe Hiratsuka, she's especially scary when drunk.

"Even though you were sleeping you had an appalling look on your face. If this is how you sleep, then I would recommend you to never sleep for the betterment of every being alike." Is everything I do a fault to you? Even when I'm sleeping you have to_ mock_ me with it?!

"Well good afternoon to you too Yukinoshita." She then left as elegantly as she smacked me with her staff. I sighed as I picked up my knives and placed them in their respective sheaths, I wrapped my cloak around my body as I mentally prepared myself of another night where I won't get _any_ sleep…I'm slowly regretting not getting that Dragon Quest now, at the very least I'll get some rest but no~ me and my big mouth said that I should take the Rabbit Quest because it takes less work. If I could hurt my past self, I would've killed him by now.

Downstairs I saw Farmer Salem with Yukinoshita, who appears to be discussing something. Instead of waiting for them to finish I'll just head out on my own, it's not like it's the first time anyways. Adjusting my leather gloves, I headed towards the eerie forest.

I heard a number of noises in the distance, without even a wasting a moment I unsheathed four knives and threw at that direction. Faint noises were heard as well as the noticeable ding of my Reabacus, going towards the four carcasses I did the same treatment to them to prevent them from attracting large animals as well as stopping them from repelling other rabbits. Having a taste of adrenaline, I zoomed through the forest and started my massacre.

The agile movements of the rabbits as they noticed my presence were a lot slower than I've thought, the blades I threw cut through the air even faster than their escape.

"Fifty-Eight" Even with that quick rest, I am at least capable of hunting down a few of these pests.

Having killed my prey, I go and gather the knives and bodies, then throw them to a hole, cover the hole afterward I hunt down more until I get tired or I get frozen by the wall of ice quickly moving towards my direction. Feeling the cold air, I was able to dodge the attack at the last second. Instead of hitting me it froze two rabbits near a tree.

I know of only one person who is able to use an Ice spell and that would be! Yukinoshita! She menacingly revealed herself from the shadows. To think she was an assassin all along, I should've known! It was already suspicious enough for Hiratsuka to force me to make a party with her. I once again remembered Hiratsuka's words _"__Just so we're clear I'm not going to kill you…but"_ So I was right all along! But maybe Hiratsuka's not the only one who wanted me dead, maybe that suspicious adventurer wanted or maybe that merchant who tried to rip me off, maybe he's part of this too!

"It is rather rude of you to leave while I was discussing some important matters with Farmer Salem. Haven't your mother taught you the virtue of patience?"

"As if I would waste my time chatting about instead of killing more of these pests, I prefer to maximize my reward mind you." What was she discussing with him? Plans to kill me?! Was Farmer Salem part of this plan all along?!

"Another issue is regarding our bet, though your head start would prove little to even your odds, but to think you'll forgo such underhanded tactics to beat me Hiki-cheater-kun." So the bet's still on, well then get ready to be demolished Elven Obaa-san. But to think she was _kind _enough to extend our little game so I could prove to her that I am a B Ranked Adventurer or she's just wanting to display how different our _level of skills_ is by increasing her own kill streak enough that I'll kneel to the ground and tell her that she's better than me, as if I'll allow that. Despite your _win_ from yesterday, I now know of all your tricks and it would be idiotic of me to fall for them twice.

"Fine, fine. Let's just get this over with."

Trees zoomed past me as I sprinted through the forest. After assessing my strategy from yesterday, instead of matching my pace with Yukinoshita I should instead use my faster speed to outrun her. A mages normal role is to act as a rearguard and either support to the front-liners or deal massive damage with the front-liners protecting them. With that role, most Mages wouldn't need to have great mobility and just concentrate to chant while standing still and if I were to place Yukinoshita in the exact same role then I'll get.

"-!" A surprisingly quick Elf who almost matched my speed. She froze the ground solid and she's using it the skate. We attacked the poor rabbits we saw in distance. No matter how powerful your spell is, it still takes time to cast them. My knives traveled the distance in mere seconds, each hitting the rabbits directly even before Yukinoshita could finish her spell. After seeing her irate face, I somehow felt victorious of this encounter, little does she know this was just the beginning.

Missiles made from ice and mana launched themselves towards a few Perpetual Hares following behind us. I on the underhand threw my knives towards those swarming us in the front. Sweat began to form on my face as we darted past trees, I made sure that the marks I placed were visible only to me and others who know of its language. Having a form of communication only known by a select few is by far the important skill a Rogue could utilize. It would allow us to pass on secret messages to others without being caught, practice it enough and you'll even be able to insert this language while you talk to someone, alerting anyone who knows this secret language.

Comparing the behavior of these rabbits from yesterday I could say that they're even more aggressive. Unlike before where they would run away as soon as we get close, these pests are now directly targeting us, specifically Yukinoshita. Like before, she attracted more and more rabbits, the more she uses her spells though she's not getting tired from all this, well I am so we better get this over quick. Despite the increase in actions we take to evade and kill these animals we were still capable of talking to one another. Taking a deep breath, I smelled the minty scent of my surroundings.

"Hikigaya-kun, I would like to ask of you about something regarding this quest." An ice stake pierced the rabbit that jumped her as I slashed another with my dagger.

"If this is about the reward, then we'll just discuss this with that Farmer later." My dagger once again came to contact with another rabbit's neck.

"Though we have killed a considerable amount of these vermin if we were to leave then it would only take a matter of time before they rose in number once more." As if that's our problem. Our quest was to kill as much as we can not hunt down every single one of these wretched things, that's too much work.

"Yukinoshita, we were tasked to hunt down and kill as many rabbits as we could, nothing more nothing less."

"Even if we were to kill ninety-nine percent of these creatures then the remaining one percent would still multiply and one day wreak havoc as they are doing now. Wouldn't it be better to find a way to stop their destruction altogether?" As if I'll kill even more than a quarter of these things, I have a life outside killing rabbits you kno~w like sleeping in my bed or reading a book, maybe gutting a Riajuu or two…you know normal adventurer things.

"My question, would we get paid if we were to, by some _miracle _we find a way to stop these hares from invading some local farm?" Unless there's money involved, I wouldn't lift even a finger. The life of an adventurer is hard enough but to be forced to do charity work.

"No of course not, it is only just of us adventurers to help those in need." As if, good luck with that Yukinoshita.

"Would this _kindness_ of yours help us earn money, would your _kindness _help me live in this forsaken world? Unless your answer is yes then I would _gladly_ help you."

Yukinoshita stopped casting spells and instead directed her gaze towards me. Even though we were a couple of meters away, I could the sudden drop of temperature in the area. People would normally avoid angering much less annoying a mage because of their _powers_ but I know this would end well for me. Maybe not for her but for at least.

"Money? Despite Farmer Salem needing our assistance all you could think of is money? Do you realize what is at stake here, the lives of a man and his family! We as adventurers are supposed to help those in need, and when someone needs us would we turn our backs unless given for some sort of compensation? Those capable must offer a hand to those who are not."

Summer nights are normally cooler than during the day. But as of the present, it felt a lot colder thanks to Ice Queen over there. To some, it would be insane to insult someone who could use magic but being an adventurer is not something any sane person would do so I continued to mock her.

"My~ How righteous of you. One question Yukinoshita, how long have you been an adventurer? Because it appears that you don't understand the world we live in. And I'm sure this was the _very_ first time you've seen someone suffer right because, from my point of view, you're just some sheltered idealist who wishes to _fix _the world without knowing even an inch of it."

As I slashed at the last remaining rabbit, even though I wasn't a Magic Caster I felt goosebumps as Yukinoshita released a large amount of mana into the air. I don't know if she's subconsciously doing it but I could feel the same freezing chill from before.

"No matter how cruel the world is, is it not our duty as adventurers to help those in need? We are the most capable of helping the people, of reaching out to them. And by giving them such aid we would be able, no matter how slowly change their lives, their future. Are you telling me that _you_ don't wish of these to happen? We are born with two hands are we not? One of it must be used to better ourselves while the other to give to someone who needs it."

As expected of a noblewoman! She has the moral code of chivalry! How philosophical! How enlightened. How utterly stupid. I thought everything that came out of my mouth was shit and yet here's a prime example of a rich child who spouts ideals of pure _fantasy_. Yukinoshita's an idealist and a dreamer! Unfortunately for her, ideals don't exist in our reality and I'm here to show her this reality.

"Does the world _really_ seem that black and white to you? You do realize that people don't help others just because they can, everyone always has a motive to everything they do no matter how _kind _it is. "

The air continued to dry up as moisture began to form into ice coating our surroundings. I don't know if she's aware of this or not but just as we started arguing about our ideals, the forest turned silent. Yet in the distance, I could feel the gathering of a few dozens if not hundreds of creatures.

"The king doesn't give rule over us for free, the hero doesn't slay monsters just because, they do it because they reap benefits. The king doesn't rule over us for free, he does it to gain the trust of his underlings, a hero slays monsters not because he can but because he wants the fame and attention. And we adventurers don't do quests for free we get rewards for doing our _job_. If he wants us to stop the rabbits from ruining his life, then he should've posted a quest for and with a good reward for it too."

I felt my entire body being watched as I continued to berate Yukinoshita for her _kindness_. From the bushes, I could hundreds of eyes stare onto us specifically Yukinoshita. I don't know if she is aware of this, but that spell of hers is attracting more company than I've imagined. I made sure that every word that I spat is filled with nothing but venom.

"You said that the capable should help the weak? Don't make me laugh! Because on the contrary the 'capable' are the ones destroying the lives of the weak. Despite the severity of this pests did the Lord that governed this land came to Farmer Salem's aid? No, he did not and how could you honestly tell me that this Lord is an exception and that all the other Lords are kind just because they are 'capable'? How are _you _so sure?"

"That is -!"

And finally, the breaking point. Hundreds of Perpetual Hares rushed us, they zipped through the trees and bushes rather impressively. The Elf girl was surprised by this and was prepared to cast another spell when the army of hares that were ready to maw on our faces fell into fifteen feet traps that I've dug from earlier. I made sure that those pitfalls would only trap large amounts of animals thanks to the ropes that supported it.

It seems like a lot of pests survived that fall most likely because of the cushion their dead brethren provided. I should probably kill them before they get out. Grabbing smooth, dark-colored stone, I walked towards the mass grave I've prepared for these bastards. Those creatures tried desperately to climb out of my trap, even resorting to using each other as a stepping stone to escape and due to their efforts of trying to get out each and every one of them is now coated in oil. If I was correct this was what they called 'Crab Mentality' or something but I think it's more proper to say 'Rabbit Mentality'. This is the prime example of how Humans act to one another, they are willing to hurt and use others just so they can achieve their agenda…and I was no different. I grabbed my dagger and strike the stone I was holding in my other hand. Sparks flew and as soon as it touched the white coat of the rabbits it quickly combusted into flames.

And just like these animals I know I would one day burn.

After lighting the fuse…err their fur, I noticed Yukinoshita staring at me, I couldn't exactly tell what was on her mind as she blankly looked at me. As a veteran adventurer, it is my duty to guide others towards the right path and so I took the opportunity to embed this knowledge to this amateur. I made sure that her ideals are faced with the truth. To add to my badass lecture, I faced Yukinoshita as the flames behind my back continued to burn and grow larger, I know it made me look like a villain but at least I looked cool.

"Remember this Yukinoshita, before you go and change the world by helping others. Before that, prove to me that you're an exception to this world's cruel nature. Before all of that, first, prove to me that you're an adventurer, prove to me that you're _strong_ enough and after that maybe I'll respect you because as far as I see it, you're nothing but a sheltered idealist who knows nothing of the world."

"…" Without a response huh? The sky brightened as it neared dawn and seeing that my job here is done, I headed back to the Farm.

"Mark my words, Hikigaya I'll prove to you that this world still has those willing to help, that not everyone is as cruel and rotten as you are." I didn't even look at her as she declared her stand. I couldn't help but shrug and wish her good luck.

* * *

**AN: That was longer than expected…Anyways here's another entrée-level or beginner-level writing! And another thing, What the HELL! The amount of feedback I received was more than I could've ever expected! But if you were…well disappointed with this chapter then I'll understand, if either Yukinoshita or Hikigaya is OOC then I'm very sorry! I tried my best but I'm really not sure if some of my own bias or opinions were reflected in these characters and to that, I'm very sorry! I'll just kneel in a bed of salt as punishment! If there were any grammatical mistakes I've made please share it to me, if you have any ideas on how to improve this story tell me, every constructive criticism is very much appreciated and if you want to gut me then please leave a review.**

**A Basscus could only imagine.**


	3. Kindness is never done for Free

**Kindness is never done for Free – Chapter 3**

* * *

Gratitude, by definition, is the display of appreciation towards a person's action. Whenever someone does something in a way to help another, that person would be 'thanked' for their assistance. Not necessarily on how they helped, but on their willingness to act. Showing this gratitude towards someone is more than just an acknowledgment of their action because it carries with it ulterior motives for both the recipient of this thanks and its giver. Those who help others don't do it for free or from the kindness of their hearts but instead, out of their greed. If someone was given help, then they'll become indebted to that person and would, on every occasion, give a form of reward or boon to appease them. This is what a kind individual truly wants, a way to attain their own desires whether it be fortune, fame or a person's love, and make themselves feel good because of their deed.

While the weak become indebted to the strong who protected them, the weak out of obligation become indebted to the strong and are forced to give rewards suitable enough to their level. This form of social extortion is the very basis of being an Adventurer. They choose jobs that they need to accomplish and at the end of the day be paid for their service. Adventurers aren't kind people, they only seek to sate their own hunger, their desires. In fact, the concept of Quests shows just how crooked this profession is, they are given the chance to pick whomever they want to save. And every time, they pick whoever best satisfies their greed, not giving a single glance to other Quests where they are needed the most. No one is genuinely kind to another.

Then, there those who thank these individuals who helped them. People don't show gratitude towards another for 'appreciation' alone, within it lies the desire to keep up appearances. They hold this façade of appreciation, no matter how little they were helped, to maintain their mask of politeness. This fake image of gratitude (Read: submissiveness) became part of our social etiquette, if one were to not follow it, they would be shamed for their 'crude' or 'impolite' behavior. That is why people give thanks to others no matter how much they have to sacrifice, to protect them from being ostracized by their peers.

"Please we cannot accept such amounts of money as a reward, we did this Quest only to help better the situation you are currently in, we seek no form of compensation." Yukinoshita declared as she rejected the bag containing money.

"It'd bring great shame to ma family if I didn't give ya what I offered, its yer reward fer all da hard work." Despite being told not to bother with our payment, Farmer Salem persistently continued to push the bag towards Yukinoshita.

The scene before me showcases the means into keeping up with appearances. With Farmer Salem forcing the payment towards the Elf girl and as he stated, 'It'd bring great shame to ma family', that alone tells me that he's doing it in order to remain polite, though if he continued to be persistent then I'll gladly take the money off his hands. Unfortunately, Yukinoshita stood strong and continued to reject the money. And worse of all, the farmer continued to protest to Yukinoshita's charity work. They've been going back and forth for more than a few minutes now…

"Instead of giving us such payment, why not use it to fix the farm? After all, we were unable to improve your situation. After our departure, they would soon continue to ravage your farm." Yukinoshita made a sound argument, then again if it were me, I'd have accepted the money long ago. But Yukinoshita insisted in negotiating with our client but it turns out she was going to talk Farmer Salem out of paying us! Making us some sort of charity! How insane is that! I would've intervened…if it wasn't for the fact that Yukinoshita won the bet. Yes, an F Ranked Adventurer _outclassed_ an B Ranked Adventurer. A literal _newbie_ beats a veteran, just let that sink in. Reason, the Reabacus counted the rabbits _I_ killed with my traps to be partially hers because _she_ attracted the Perpetual Hares. How was I supposed to know there was a _Kill/Assist _Ratio!

Wait if there was an _Assist_ Ratio, why didn't I get credit back then when I partied with other adventurers!? Why did I just discover this _now_? Still having half of _my_ kills be counted as hers skyrocketed Yukinoshita's points…I'm sure she'll never let me live this down. And seeing that she won the bet, I couldn't do anything but comply…unless I wanna become an ice sculpture.

The bag of money hit the table with a noticeable clang, Farmer Salem took the nearest furniture and sat down. He stared at the floor, hiding whatever expression he's making. As Farmer Salem spoke, his tone seemed so defeated. What's with the sudden change in mood? Is it that time of the month for you now? Maybe you were an actor before?

"Ta tell ya da truth…I tried ta ask fer help, ta get rid of those damn bastards and yet, no one came. Not even the Lord Heltrift." Despite acting calm and collected, I noticed Yukinoshita furrow her eyebrow after hearing that a _noble _ignore someone's plea for help. Told you so, the world's not as black and white as you think Yukinoshita.

"I asked every scholar, noble, hero or adventurer but they did nothin'. All they wanted was ma money and I don't blame 'em…What ya did may not last long but maybe it'll give me enough time ta think on what to do."

No scholar would help a commoner because they hold their _principles_ to heart and interacting with such _beasts_ (Read: Peasants) is an Adventurer's or Hero's job. A noble wouldn't help his lowly servant because they aren't directly affected by. No hero would be willing to help because they're too _busy_ slaying a dragon or something and no adventurer would help without a good reward to it. So, no matter how one looks at it, he was helpless from the very start.

The man then got up and bowed, he knelt to his knees and bowed to Yukinoshita as if she was a savior…his savior, his family's savior. You know, you shouldn't do that, you'll just make her more stuck up than she already is.

"Dat is why I'm so thankful fer ya help, from da very bottom of my heart I thank you. I know what I'm offering ya ain't enough compared to other jobs but please just accept it."

…

Farmer Salem faced Yukinoshita, his eyes seemed lost, devoid of his previous cheerfulness, he looked so _pathetic_ and helpless. This man asked for help, for someone to help him. His life and his family were on the line, yet no one came. I'm sure Farmer Salem begged for anyone to help him, but no one came. He asked for someone to pick him up, but everyone ignored him…I **hate** how pathetic he looked. He reminds me so much of…

"How much were you offering again?" Farmer Salem acknowledged my presence while Yukinoshita just glared at me, like a literal death glare. Yeah, I know I'm _violating_ our bet but hey, this will take forever if you don't hurry up, I got things to do…I've never capable of ever exaggerating Yukinoshita's glare, it's like she's trying to set my head on fire…or ice.

"From what I recalled, you offered 10 copper coins per rabbit we kill right? Considering we killed a total of 573 of those bastards in two nights, that'll be around 57 silver coins and 30 copper coins. Correct?" I may be bad at Math during my childhood days but so long as it's money, my mind's like a calculating machine! Thanks Mom, for teaching me the value of money…and smacking me with your broom whenever I buy something.

"D-Dat would be correct. Even if ya count it one b- "

"You allowed us to stay in your house for almost two days since there weren't any close by inns, a normal inn charges about 5 silver coins per day and since there's two of us, that'll be 20 silver coins."

Yukinoshita looked at me questioningly, and unsurprisingly her glare didn't falter for a moment as I continued to list down every single time Farmer Salem have _helped_ us…though I use the word 'help' very loosely, his cooperation did make our jobs a bit easier

"You gave us information on how those rabbits behave, allowing us to maximize our kills. To get that information, I'll have to pay an info-broker 3 to 6 silver coins so that's another 6 silver coins."

From me cooking and using some vegetables to them letting me use their wheelbarrow, I counted every single time Farmer Salem _helped _us, and with every word his expression changes from being pathetic to that of a confused man. Worry not! For I shall enlighten you the meaning of everything I'm telling.

"And finally, you allowed me to use 5 pots full of oil. Though I'm not that well-versed in the oil trade, I'll estimate it to be around 2 silver coins and since I used 5 of it, in total it'll be 10 silver coins. Overall it'll cost us…36 silver coins."

"…Wait c-cost?"

In reality there is no such thing is _kindness_, people don't become better people by being kind, instead, they use it as a means to get what they want while feeling _morally_ good while doing it. Meaning kindness is **not** free, every action done to another has a price like how being 'indebted' to another means they could call a 'favor' from you.

"You've helped us complete this Quest even though you didn't need to, and since you're our client not an adventurer we could just deduct it from our pay."

"B-But that'll leave ya with-. "

"21 silver coins and the remaining copper coins, it's a bit lower compared to other Quests I normally take but at least I was able to taste a Rabbit Curry."

Dumbfounded is being so surprised that you start to look like an idiot, though I wanted to see that on Yukinoshita's face, I was satisfied with Farmer Salem looking at me like an idiot. Yeah, I know I just made some bullshit up to _appease_ you Obaa-san, but I need the money you kno~w, I have a rent to pay.

"As for your problem with this Perpetual Hares, I'm sure Yukinoshita has a solution, right?"

"I suppose your mind's not as rotten I've previously thought, perhaps one day you'll become less of an undead."

The mouth of this woman! I handled the negotiations _better_ than you could ever do. What? You think I'm dumb enough to not notice how you brought with you a couple of Bibulous plants after every hunt? Tch! Like I care, just do your thing so I could go home, I already miss my bed.

"As Hikigaya-kun said, I may have found a solution to the Perpetual Hares' invasive behavior."

During our first night, we noticed how a Perpetual Hare tried to dodge a specific plant as soon as it noticed the herbs, even forfeiting its own life to dodge it. Since the Bibulous plant is used in potion making, its property of releasing the mana of a living creature may have caused the creature to try and dodge it.

"As soon as we entered the forest, I felt the surplus of mana in the air and seeing the rare Bibulous plant flourish here it means that there's enough mana to sustain it."

Perpetual Hares have also been known as sex-crazed machines, creating hundreds of off-springs in a matter of a year. But for it to invade a farm, knowing full well that there are Humans in it make it seem that the food supply is not enough to sustain the entire population meaning there's an overpopulation of this rabbits.

Instead of rabbits, imagine a group of barbarians hunting near the outskirts of a forest. Every day they bring back a deer and their group slowly grows so they bring back even more, and if their number exceeds the amount of food, they could prosper then they'll either, kill each other, stop producing off-springs or hunting deeper in the forest. Killing wouldn't always work, same goes for stop having sex…filthy sluts.

"These excessive levels of mana may have altered the behavior and physical characteristics of these Perpetual Hares Which, in turn, made it more aggressive and numerous."

Yeah, numerous enough to fill a fifteen feet hole. That amount of meats enough to feed a village for a week…Shit! I could've sold those! If I sold one for 50 copper coins, then I'll profit over 40 copper coins each! To think my plan of efficiently killing them resulted in me losing even more money. Yukinoshita's going to be the death of me and my wallet.

"I-I see, so what yer tryna say is dat by coverin' ma farm with these plants, them pest wouldn't be able ta eat ma crops? I guess it might work."

But my question is, how were the rabbits able to gather mana in the first place? To the point it would change their body. Despite solving Farmer Salem's problem, hopefully permanently because I'm **not** going back here, it just led to more questions unanswered…But unless I'm paid triple, I wouldn't even worry myself with it. Throwing yourself to a rabbit hole filled with spiraling mysteries does not pay the bills.

"I have voluntarily harvested a few of the Bibulous Plant Bulbs to make sure you are not harmed in gathering these from the forests."

Really Obaa-san?! You want your _first_ quest to be a charity work and after you tell them how to stop those bastards from starving his family again for free, now you do all the work! Do you _not_ know the value of money, to work is already to lose but to work without getting paid is literally sleeping in a stable next to a pile of shit, because that's where you're going to sleep tonight! As a veteran adventurer, is it my job to teach young adventurers the value of money...Nah! I'm sure it's okay for her to know it the hard way.

"Hikigaya-kun also has a number of Earth Magic Stones you could use to plant them with."

-! You're kidding right Obaa-san? Do you even know how hard it is to get _this_ much Magic Stone?! It already cost me money to buy these in the first place now you're going to make me hand them over to the _client_ who was supposed to pay us?!

"Hey! Wait a sec- "

Like before, the room turned frigid…Yukinoshita once again activated her _killing intent_ and was ready to freeze me and use my body as a decoration. Next time, I'll buy a magic-resistant coat to counter this Ice Witch's power. Fine! here's my remaining stones! Just remember you're going to repay me for this.

I begrudgingly handed the bag of Magic Stones to Yukinoshita which, she in turn handed to Farmer Salem. This time it was Farmer Salem's turn to refuse Yukinoshita's kindness, have a taste of your own medicine Obaa-san! Seeing no end to their argument, I decided to step outside.

* * *

It was just after dawn, so it was still a bit cold outside but not enough to make me wear my coat. Taking a deep breath, I let in the fresh air of the countryside, has it really been that long? The forest, the farm work even the cabin reminded me so much of that time…Stop it, it's in the past, you've should've long abandoned but why do I keep remembering? And why the hell am I remembering it now?! Do I still act like that naïve brat clinging so desperately to his old life?

Since when did I become sentimental? I leaned on the front porch and enjoyed the golden field of wheat. Behind me, the front door swing outwards revealing a certain brat.

"Ah! Onii-chan!"

Of course, even though I told him not to call me that he still continues to piss me off. And if I even insulted this kid, Farmer Salem's father instinct might turn on and kill me. How attached could you get? Is everyone in his family obsessed with each other or something?

"Oy, what do you want?" Might as well get to the point.

"Umm! W-Well I would just like to know…What's it like to be, well, an Adventurer?" So, that's it huh?

"W-Well Umm! You see my sister just became an adventurer, and she rarely goes home, we're becoming worried for her…"

"First, I didn't ask for a reason why you asked that question and I don't even give a damn about sister being an adventurer." The brat tightened his hand into a fist and focused his gaze onto me.

"And second, your sister's either an idiot or a sadomasochist for wanting to be an adventurer." The kid clenched his fist as his eyebrows came even closer together. Brat, you don't look half bad with a unibrow.

"Being an adventurer is essentially risking your lives to deal with the problems of others, to the common people being an adventurer to save people is a noble aspiration but rarely would an adventurer help out of chivalry, we're not knights, just idiots who do things for ourselves."

If I were to guess, this kid looked highly to his elder sister and also wants to become an adventurer like her. I'm not someone who so easily wants to crush the dreams of others, no, that honor is for a special noble I know. But risking his life just to be like his sister is stupid. In fact, I'm pretty sure his sister's stupid too.

"There's hundreds of other jobs that you could take, don't need to risk your life just to be like your sister." The kid looked at me with an indescribable expression and just nodded to me. Still, as if he'll take my advice, if the brat was determined to be like his sister, he wouldn't listen to me. Hmm~ What was this brat's name again? I haven't heard him be called a name. As I heard the creaking sound of the front door opening, I called out to him to sate my curiosity.

"Oy! Brat! What was your name again?"

The kid faced me with a meek expression.

"W-Well my name's Taishi, Taishi Kawasaki."

Kawasaki…I feel like I've heard that name before, and Taishi, what a weird name. I'll keep calling him brat then, still, it's not like I'm going to remember this kid. After noticing my disinterest in him, he silently went inside.

Not having anything else to do besides looking at the fields and seeing the debate between Obaa-san and Farmer Salem's going to take a while, I decided to wander around the forest.

I know what you're saying, _'But what if something attacks you?!'_ it's nice to have someone to worry about me but to that I say, '_I'm a B Ranked Adventurer I can handle myself!_'. Aside from the Elf girl I'm currently partied with, I'm _the_ Adventurer in my party! Since I didn't have any other members! Anyways, who am I even talking to?

The forest was peaceful, to say the least, well if you ignored the smell of burnt flesh then I'll say it was quite pleasant. Wandering deeper into the woods, I noticed how different the forest is from other's that I've been in. There was a distinct lack of monsters. Forests, especially as rural as this normally have a ton of monsters wreaking havoc, there weren't even corpses of any large animals…just some small ones but the most prominent of all were Perpetual Hares.

It was as if almost every living creature aside from small animals vanished or were driven away. By what? The more I spend snooping around here leaves me with more unanswered questions, questions I'm not paid to answer.

Am I a workaholic or something?! I'm supposed to be enjoying the scenery now I'm going all scholar here?! I swear I'm not a workaholic! I'm a lazy sane Hachiman! Anyways, seeing the sun hit its highest peak, I decided to head back and remembering whatever information I've learned today, bet it'll catch a good price to an info-broker.

* * *

Nearing the cabin, I saw the somewhat familiar elf as she looked across the golden fields. The wind gently blew her raven hair while Yukinoshita elegantly brushed her slender fingers through it. The way she carries herself, even during that onslaught of rabbits, she remained as elegant and as noble, don't know if that's a good trait to have.

If I was my old self, then I would've confessed the first time we met… and I would've been rejected right on the spot.

"My, is that a monster I see? It seems that the forest has more unspeakably beasts with such rotten eyes. Shall I exterminate it else it wreaks havoc in this countryside?"

Rejected would've been a kinder sentence. With her tongue, I might as well be dragged to hell itself and tortured for all eternity, because that honestly feels better than dealing with this woman.

"Oy! Enough with the eyes. Anyways, what happened with the Farmer."

Yukinoshita rubbed her temple while releasing a sigh. "Though it took some convincing I was able to talk him out of paying us completely. Regarding the money you've spent, not to worry I'll pay you for those stones."

If I were there, I would've pres-. Wait! Pay? Did Obaa-san just say that she'll_ pay_ me for those stones? Am I going deaf or did I misunderstood the whole fallen noble thing? I focused my gaze on Yukinoshita, noticing it she let out a pronounced sigh.

"Despite how appalling of an adventurer you are to ask for payment for everything, it would leave a bad taste in my mouth to not pay you off your own expenses even after I've forcibly given it away."

Looks like I misjudged you Obaa-san, to think you'll actually give me my money back, thought I lost it forever. To think she'll continue to insult me, being stingy around money's a necessary evil in this world Yukinoshita!

"If you're rich enough to pay me then why'd you become an adventurer?"

Yukinoshita's a noble right, then she should be rich enough to pay unwilling souls to do her bidding, yet here she is, willingly became an adventurer and decided to make my quest life a living hell.

"I cannot afford to spill such personal information to a creep like you, else I find myself bested by an assassin."

Why find one when you already have one ready to cut your head off! She's really getting under my skin. Instead of continuing our conversation I decided to head inside and prepare for our departure. Yukinoshita shifted her attention from me to the farm.

* * *

"Thanks, fer da help!"

"T-Thanks for everything."

Both of them spoke simultaneously, Farmer Salem looked at us with that goofy smile while the brat bowed at us respectfully. Glancing over at Yukinoshita, I noticed her faintly smiling as the two gave their thanks. It seems that Obaa-san really does have a soft spot behind that ice cold (not to mention hard) demeanor.

"If ever you request our assistance then feel free to contact us through the guild hall." Like hell I'll be returning to this place. The only thing that could even make me reconsider going back to this farm is through money.

"So, the town's just straight ahead right." I asked while adjusting the strap of my backpack.

"Just follow da dirt road and ya'll be fine!" The large man reaffirmed us. And with a nod of acknowledgment, I went ahead with Yukinoshita following suite. The two figures, which continued to wave at us gradually shrank as we moved further away from the farm.

Aside from the melodic sounds of birds or the eerie noise of the forest surrounding us, Yukinoshita and I proceeded to walk towards the supposed town in silence. The entirety of the forests surrounded us, trees of all sizes surrounded us from both sides, creating a wall akin to that of a dungeon. From the sheer thickness of the trees, only scattered rays of sunlight illuminated the path. Littered on the dirt road are footprints of both horses and humans, as we came closer to civilization.

Mysteriously Yukinoshita remained quiet the entire time. I know it's not like me to do small talk, heck I'm not even good at it! And since my companions not the talkative type, I decided to steer clear of any conversations with this woman but after the long (not the mention boring) trip towards town. I decided to at least ask her how she's holding up…

"Oy! Yukinoshita you al-…"

That was if she was there. Turning towards my companion, expecting to see the aforementioned elf girl but no one was there. Could it! That I've hallucinating this entire time! That there was no such thing as a snarky elf who constantly belittled me!

I would've convinced myself that if she hasn't physically talked to that farmer and massacred a lot of rabbits. So, taking the logic choice, I backtracked and went along the dirt path I've traveled at for the last hour.

Annoyance is one of my most frequent emotions, every time I become done with someone else's bullshit or they do something that pisses me off, I would normally feel this annoyance towards said person. And currently, this irritation should very much be visible in my face. I mean how the hell could you be _lost_ in a path that's literally a straight line. Still, it would raise some attention if I didn't return to the guild with the elf girl in tow. Maybe I could report her being devoured by the Perpetual Rabbits…As if Hiratsuka's going to believe that.

After a half an hour's worth of walking I saw a lone figure walking the same direction as I am…Back to the farm. I need to grab her attention.

"Oy! Yukinoshita!" I shouted but somehow, she didn't hear it. What are those long ears for anyways? If she can't even hear me at this range, what are they even good for! Instead of using more of my energy using my unused vocals, I decided to run over to her.

"Oy! Where the hell are you headed?! The town's the opposite direction!"

Upon coming into contact with her shoulder, Yukinoshita tensed up and looked at me indifferently. Instead of even acknowledging her mistake, she walked towards the other direction, the correct one that's headed to town. Still, as she passed by, I can't help but see her flustered expression, how cute.

I can't help but sigh at my expense. First, I was scolded by my superior because of some stupid moral analyzing report, was forcibly told to join a party with a newbie and that said newbie, beats me in a bet, gives more than half of my _well-earned_ reward away, even give my remaining Magic Stones away, now she gets lost in a straight path! Uhh~ what have I gotten myself into. Seeing her silhouette slightly blur, I sprinted to her side before she gets lost…again.

* * *

As we arrived, Yukinoshita and I were greeted with the noise of a bustling village. Even from the village gate, we could hear children playing about, disrupting the peace much to the annoyance of the adults. Walking past the town square, children looked at us with glittering eyes, seemingly fascinated by us. You kids could stare but no touching! Yukinoshita, on the other hand, looked at them with a softened gaze.

The feeling of my stomach grumbling made me think of nothing but food. And the smell of roast meat in the distance isn't helping. The closer I got to that smell the more I am allured by it. Damn it stomach! Now's not the time to eat!

Instead of indulging in a meal, I decided to push the thought back. Right now, my main goal is to find a carriage that's headed to the town of Caeshire, where the guild is located. Coming closer to a store, I inquired the merchant of a carriage around town.

"Carriage? Mhmm~, there currently aren't any 'round here." The meat seller rubbed his chin, pondering of my question. No carriages for today…makes sense since not a lot of people go to this province aside from some merchants. Logical but still troublesome.

" But maybe you could ask to ride with those traveling merchants."

Traveling merchants? The meat seller pointed towards a group of caravans. Each being loaded with numerous crates and other items. From this distance, I could easily spot a short plump man berating a tall man. He wore what appears to be a high-quality vest paired up with an outlandish hat. I assumed that man was the head merchant. The taller man was suited in an iron breastplate and helmet, possibly the merchant's guard. His hand steadily moved towards the sword on his hip, but at the last moment, he relented.

Seeing my intention, Yukinoshita and I walked towards the merchant. We waited for him to finish insulting the armor-wearing lad. Yukinoshita politely interjected, only to be met with a look of disdain.

"Huu~h?! What to do you want?! Can't you see I'm busy!" The merchant shouted. Despite his sudden outburst, Yukinoshita stayed calm and courteously apologized for her interruption. Much to the annoyance of the plump man.

As Yukinoshita introduced herself to the growingly annoyed man. I can't help but notice the aura of rage and bloodlust emanating from the man whom the merchant talked to. From the corner of my eye, I observed the guard as he directed his hostile gaze towards the merchant. Noticing me looking at him, the guard moved back to his post.

I should be cautious of that guard, if his actions were implications of his hatred then I'm sure I'll have to deal with him later. My attention was brought back to the chunky merchant as he and the surrounding guards laughed. Based on the sudden drop in temperature, I would guess that their degrading laughter is directed towards the Ice Witch. Still none of them the felt the impending doom of Yukinoshita's wrath.

"Hahaha!" A man laughed boastfully. His outfit despite being large strained as his chest heaved. The merchant amusedly wiped a tear from his eyes.

"You think someone like you, an impotent elf could protect me and my precious goods?! How laughable!" The merchant continued. "Look she's just an F rank as well!"

The guards snickered, underestimating people would always lead to one's doom. And if they continued to insult Yukinoshita, I'm sure they'll be put on display as ice sculptures.

"Ahem." I caught their attention. At first, the merchant's expression is of annoyance, but his eyes widened upon noticing my Reabacus.

"Some F rank may not be able to protect you and your goods but how about a B ranked adventurer."

I adjusted the chain of my Reabacus, drawing the guards' attention towards it. Similarly, their eyes widened in disbelief. One's status, whether it be in their social life or adventurer ranking is viewed as '_what defines the individual'_. People won't say it out loud, but your status is the basis on how other's would interact with you. Example, if you're a noble then people would try to please you, but if you were just some commoner, they'll act differently towards you. Ignored, beaten, killed, robbed. All of which are done to the common folk.

"Y-Yes! Certainly! A man of your caliber may be of help towards my caravan!" The merchant exclaimed, then letting out a hearty laugh. Tch! I hate this man already.

"Anyways! Where are my manners! I am George Felthorn, a humble merchant at your service." He introduced himself while bowing like he's some sort of noble.

"Hikigaya, B Rank Adventurer. And this is-" I only told him of my family name, I'm here to work with him not be personally acquainted with him. Cutting my introduction her short is none other than Obaa-san herself.

"Yukino Yukinoshita, an F Rank Adventurer, glad to be your acquaintance." She offering her hand without breaking eye contact with the merchant. I have to hand it to her despite being an Elf, Yukinoshita seems to know more about human social etiquette. The problem with that gesture is.

The hand to meet with Yukinoshita shakes with hesitation as if touching her would be disastrous for him. And when their hand came into contact, it lasted very briefly.

"Yes, glad" He spat with disdain. Once more I felt the cold chill of death loom beside me. You know if you continued to provoke Ice Queen here, it wouldn't be my fault if she killed you.

Still, not wanting to get executed for being acquainted with a killer, I told the merchant I'll be standing aside since they still seem to be busy.

"Hmm! Yes yes! Take a sit as we're still a bit busy as you can see."

Felthorn offered to wait inside his own carriage but knowing this was only extended to me I declined. Instead opted to sit on the fountain, allowing me to oversee his entire preparation crew.

* * *

Feeling the hot rays of the sun felt annoying, I still don't understand how anyone could work at such an hour. Well, Riajuus seem to love working in the sun, but they're as thick-skinned as they're thick-headed. From my viewpoint, I could see Felthorn's men doing work as he shouted orders (Read: Insults) at everyone.

The merchant George Felthorn claims to be a humble man working small business. Instead, my eyes see a prideful plump man who dresses up as like fake royalty and shows no regard to his men. Most would see him as a man who has worked his way up through hard work but here, I see a man who works his men to the ground while bragging about himself. But treatment towards other races seems to be disgust, prompting to spit venom at Yukinoshita. I even see the man wipe the hands he came to contact with Yukinoshita and proceeded to throw the handkerchief away.

I'm sure Yukinoshita saw that, judging from how cold it suddenly became. At least she's learning that not everyone's as kind as Farmer Salem and that she shouldn't be _kind_ to everyone she meets.

"…To think there exists men who show to regard towards others." Yukinoshita started, as she looked towards the hard-working men while Felthorn stood in his carriage, fanning himself.

"That's how it's always been, the top would use the weak while gratifying themselves. Whether you like it or not, it's not gonna change."

"And instead you'd do nothing? Seeing his men suffer while he sits down insulting them? Doesn't that make you the same?" Yukinoshita faced me, wearing an expression of frustration.

"So? Does at the top wouldn't care. People like them wouldn't change, if he treats them like trash why should we care? Not like it's going to affect us."

"It may not affect us, but it should be our responsibility to at least to people of their treatment towards others. Is that not the goal of Adventurers? To help when they're needed? Or to at least assure the proper lifestyle of all?"

Yukinoshita still wants to prove that it's the strong's duty to help the weak…how irritating. "Fine, you do you." Already finding this argument repetitive, I'll just let her do. No point in me convincing someone as stubborn as her. Looking at the working crew, I couldn't spot the guard from earlier, the one who was being insulted…well all of them are being insulted at this point but my intuition tells me to stay alert at that guy. Seeing my disinterest in our conversation, Yukinoshita observes the crew, minding her own business.

* * *

"Please! Wouldn't it be better to accompany me in my personal carriage, I assure you the seats are just divine~!"

The merchant continued to persuade into riding with him, even with the multiple times I declined he won't give up! If I rode with this man, I might as well die of annoyance because he's essentially the most irritating person I've met! And I've met the Great Heroes of the Kingdom! And believe me, this guy's the worst. If it were any other adventurer, I'm sure they would've been caught by this man's bait

"Wouldn't it fit better of someone your rank to si-."

"Then it wouldn't be such a bother if my companion were to sit with us?"

"W-Well…That is, a d-different matter, for someone like her it'll be better to sit with my product! Yes! It's so the elf could better protect my goods." Felthorn proudly exclaimed, almost congratulating himself for coming up with an excuse.

"Then it would be much better if I sat with my party member since we'll be able to _better_ protect your properties." I countered.

"W-Well~ that is…yes it would be much better." His tone of voice descended, almost muttering the end of his sentence.

And with that, I headed towards the back of the line where the Yukinoshita's carriage was. Jumping into the wagon, I couldn't but smell the same foul stench from a certain farmer. Obaa-san merely glanced at me before closing her eyes.

I stationed myself in this poor excuse of a carriage and let my conscience focus on our surroundings. Because with a long journey comes a lot more dangers lurking in the shadows. I could only breathe through my mouth as I prepared myself for an ambush.

* * *

**AN: Nope, I have no excuse whatsoever for not posting for so~ long. I, at any time, could open my laptop and write but no…instead, I'm wasting my life just doing nothing. Heck, I even considered dropping because I feel that I don't give these characters enough justice to continue this story. It's even worse since I just started if I continued to degrade them at this point…I don't know if I should even continue this story because I feel that Oregairu cast is beautiful as they are, that them being somewhat OOC is hurting my perspective of them, that I'm slowly destroying their character…And I just don't know. Still, I may not drop this totally but don't expect consistent updates. Roast my writing in the reviews or give feedback, suggestions, anything to help me improve my writing and I'll try to improve! Anyways!**

**A Basscus could only imagine.**


	4. What it Takes to Win

**What it Takes to Win. (4.1)**

* * *

Life is an unfair game. For anyone to truly be victorious then they must beat each and every one of their enemies into submission using the most effective way possible, a seamless victory. Any advantage gained by your enemies gets you closer to your demise. Any leverage no matter how small can be abused and showing even the tiniest of vulnerability is nothing short of ideal to others. Any act of weakness or a single defeat has consequences that linger till the end of it all, there is no victory without effectively dealing with loose ends. You cannot succumb to the wills of others else you bring yourself closer to your destruction, you cannot let them have the advantage or have you lose a possible opportunity. For to be victorious is to be ruthless, uncaring and lastly, efficient.

There are plenty who would sacrifice _everything_ for victory, even a slimmer of hope shown to the purest of souls can corrupt their minds. Because winning is not a result of our pride or greed or any other vice, it is the byproduct of our survival, a single instinctual thought which focuses on an individual's self-preservation rather than the benefit of all. Only the fittest has the chance to live another day. Expose your true self and be exploited, follow the strong and be continuously be used by them, show mercy to those you've fallen and be attacked once they've strengthened themselves. To be the winner in life is to never be afraid, take caution, have no mercy and be efficient, for you may never know that the things you've done today or the people you've met would lead you to your loss. My past had been riddled with defeat and I'm sick of it. To win today is to live another day tomorrow and so far, I have a long life ahead of me.

* * *

My body swayed from side to side, following the motion of the horse-drawn carriage. The thick stench of the wagon's cargo dealt its way towards my nostrils. Glancing towards my companion, who despite keeping her eyes closed, her face told only of her discomfort but this time she tried to ignore it. Well, at least Yukinoshita's not complaining nor insulting me, that's an upside if I ever see one.

Seeing nothing better to do than stare at the aforementioned High-Elf, which if she noticed, would brand me as some sort of pervert…That I'm not, mind you! So instead I opted to stare outside. Trees of all sizes quickly moved past us as we continued our journey towards the town. The forest had enough foliage to hide whatever monster lurks in the shadows, so I didn't really have the best view, aside from the trees I've mentioned earlier.

Behind us was another carriage, manned by a fellow merchant under Felthorn. The merchant yawned, noting nothing out of the ordinary. Sitting beside him was a large man, a guard who's fully equipped with a sword and shield. If I remembered correctly, the guard's rugged face was one of the people who laughed at Yukinoshita. Well~ I'm sure he's going to die sooner or later, whether it be because he was overconfident or because of Obaa-san, you can never know.

The carriage in front of ours belongs to Felthorn, at least judging from the refined ornaments decorating its outside and its Red Marewood exterior. And if what he said earlier was true, then its seats would probably be cushioned or something. You know what, I'm starting to regret not riding with that guy. Sure, he's less than pleasant to talk to but I'm sure by responding 'I see' or 'Is that so' it'll satisfy the guy's_ talkative_ nature. And hey! It works with a certain child-minded adventurer so I doubt it won't work on a self-centered prick.

From what I gathered earlier, each wagon holds different items. Some having more value than the others, and the more valuable ones have more guards. This makes sense to some degree, but it also makes it more likely for the ones guarding it steal the items. And judging from the treatment most of them received, it'll happen eventually but hey, it's not my problem.

The first one holds what appears to be perishable goods like fine flour and eggs, the easiest ones to discard if need be. The second one has ores, flint, salt, and oil, valuable but replaceable given the right connections. The fourth one, ours by the way, holds mostly manure, gravel, and sand, not sure who's buying that stuff. And the fifth wagon holds…a variety of things that are, well, I guess some people have that sort of, _preference_, I'm still trying to figure out _why_ he's selling that. And finally, the middle carriage, where Felthorn comfortably sits, is the biggest mystery. Even I'm not sure what those are because each item was either wrapped or boxed. Felthorn not telling us may lead us to some trouble along the road.

Despite there being a total of ten guards and six merchants, not including Felthorn, I doubt that this caravan could fight against a monster. Though I'm not one to underestimate others, judging from both Felthorn's treatment of his workers and the secluded road we're taking, it'll only be a matter of time before something happens, and I doubt I wouldn't be involved in it. Aaa~h!

The elf girl in front of me continued to keep her eyes close, it doesn't seem like she's trying to sleep. But I guess Obaa-san's just trying to avoid having eye contact with me since the last time we've _talked_, which was just a three hours ago mind you…Wait did I actually hurt her feelings or something? Is this the fabled 'Silent Treatment'? Is Obaa-san petty enough to resolve in guilt-tripping me for proving a point? Sucks to be her then because I like the silence.

…

"A-Ahem!" A cough was heard from the caravan, but it was neither from me nor Yukinoshita. Instead, it came from outside, specifically from the coach of the carriage. A young teenager eyed us nervously, specifically Yukinoshita. I mean who could blame him? The way Obaa-san glares at you makes you wish you were never born, and in the _very_ short time I've known her, I'm sure she's thinking of the same thing.

"Ahh, umm~! I-It seems that there's been an accident…We're umm~ told to go back and use another route." His voice cracked as he spoke. An accident huh?

"In particular, what is that accident?" Yukinoshita asked, similarly suspicious of such a coincidence.

"It, umm~, seems like a h-hole appeared out of nowhere. I'm n-not really sure how it h-happened." A hole? In the middle of a forest full of cover for an ambush? Away from any potential sources of help? Not to mention it suddenly appearing out of nowhere. Plus, Felthorn's _extravagant _carriage and mysterious cargo possibly attracting attention? Only an idiot wouldn't know what's going to happen next…Aaa~h! Why do I keep getting mixed with other people's problems? I let out a tired sigh while adjusting my mask.

"Aaa~h…Just alert Felthorn and the other guards." I deadpanned. Again, only idiots wouldn't know what's going to happen next.

"Umm~…N-Not to be rude or a-anything but is there umm a r-reason to call t-them?"

I looked at him, his face revealed a puzzled expression. I looked at Yukinoshita, though she hid it through an expressionless mask, her cluelessness was very obvious…Finally, even after all the years I've spent as an adventurer, only now had my faith in both human _and_ elf kind plummet to zero. If the God those _fanatics_ obsess about really do exist, I blame you for the creation of sentient beings in the first place.

* * *

**The Lone Princess of Ice and Snow. (1.1)**

I fixed my posture in an effort to make myself comfortable but alas, no matter how I twist my form I still continue to feel the hardened seat of this old carriage. The wretched smell emanating from the cargo did little to fix my convenience. I knew of the comforts I was giving up the day I decided to become an adventurer. Still, all my complains would all prove to be in vain, so instead I'll opt to keep quiet and maintain my demeanor. Doing so led me to stare at my companion.

Seated across me is my party member, clothed entirely in black leather armor. His hooded cloak perfectly hid his dark hair, while a mask covered his lower face only leaving eyes visible, to which I could only describe as rotten. Sheathed in his belt were small throwing knives, with a dagger hidden behind his back. The adventurer continued to stare outside of the carriage seemingly waiting for something, and he has done so since the young merchant had alerted the guards.

Hachiman Hikigaya, a B Ranked adventurer and by far the most mysterious. His presence is almost invisible, mostly ignored by his peers and only seen by guild staff. Despite his high rank, he continues to take only low-tier quests, much to the enjoyment of the few who do notice him as they see him as nothing more than a joke. Of which I could only deny.

Apathetic. Cynical. Uncaring…Efficient. From the very short time I have known this man, all of the such can define his nature. His ways remind me so much of Mother. Still, he's denial of change only irks me further.

This man before me seems to revel in the current state of the world, and beings such as he, are the ones responsible for the existence of such static and detestable society. If I wish to truly prove my worth, then I'll first have to change him. I'll have to better think of a way to change him before I dare to help change the lives of my people.

Him continuing to vigorously observe his surrounding tell only of a looming danger, may it be a monster attack or an ambush. I trust in his instinct that said attack would be possible. Should it come to that, I must protect everyone who cannot do so themselves.

Then, a familiar sensation coursed through me. A feeling of change tickled my senses as mana was dispersed into this reality. Afterward, the earth shook while the horses neighed in panic. An ambush. To think someone had the gall to ambush a caravan, truly society had fallen too low.

Before I could even grab my staff, Hikigaya had already leaped into action. Quickly following suite, I saw him as he grabbed a single throwing knife and threw directly towards the bell behind us. The sound of the blade hitting the chime alerted the guards, almost all of them unsheathed their arms and began to ready a battle stance.

I expected there to be a barrage of arrows or a group of mercenaries quickly engaging the guards, instead there was silence. The foliage of the forest proved to make a decent cover for our assailants, much to our disadvantage. So, I opted to find the mana, which was used to shape the earth, but it seems I was too late as it had already dispersed.

From the corner of my eye, I saw movement, another guard seemed to have noticed it as well. The rustling noise of it as it moved closer to a bush alerted the other guards, their expressions tensed up as their stares bore holes into the scrub. Bravely, a guard moved closer, the large man slowly approached a bush, cautiously stepping closer ready to swing his longsword.

Like the wind, I could feel a projectile pass just beside me. Its destination is the gap between the guard's armor. My eyes widened at the sight as blood gushed from his side, the sudden attack made him lose balance and fall to the ground.

I reacted quickly and rushed towards the fallen man. Cupping my hands, mana flowed from it and gathered onto my palms.

"_Ihma Falko Belta_!"

A golden glow radiated from my hands as I cast a mending spell. The dust and mud dirtied my robe as I kneeled beside the man. The guard's face was contorted in agony. One could only guess how much pain he is suffering as an arrow sticking out of him. A scream escaped his lips as I pulled the arrow out.

Just as I was about to heal his wounds, another arrow shot out from the thicket before us. I cannot cast another spell to protect us since I am yet to finish my mending spell, else I face a rebound. Even if I did, I wouldn't have enough time to even finish my magic.

Time seemed to slow as the arrows grew closer to me. Despite me and the guard beside me being the intended victims of the projectiles, it never reached us. To my surprise, I saw metallic blurs hit the shaft of the arrow, splitting them in half whilst changing their destination. Missing me by an inch.

It seems that Hikigaya-kun saw the arrows before I could react towards it, his quick reactions had given me enough time to help the guard. Pressing my palms onto his side, I feel my vitality weaken as the wound closed. Having saved the man's life, I cast another spell.

"_Ihma Alha Ousiralthel_"

Four ice crystals formed in thin air. I launched the first two towards the shrubbery, which prompted the assailant to dodge. As the mercenary jumped into the air. Having anticipated this, I punished his action by firing the other two blunted ice crystals into his direction. Its body hit the tree trunk from behind, it moved its legs to stand up only to fall down once more in response to the pain.

Having decommissioned the bandit who tried to take both my and the guard's life, I looked to my side and saw all of the chaos unfold.

* * *

Bandit. Has light armor possibly Barwian silk. Armed with a short sword, low reach, extremely sharp. His movement shows experience. Outmatch compared to a B Ranked adventurer. Dodge downward slash. Outbalanced. Hit larynx. Bandit staggers backward. Punish, hit temple with the dagger's blunt rear bolster. Attacker decommissioned. Moved to another one.

Horses neighed as arrows and bandits zoomed past them. Their whines were silenced, from their corpses arrows were pinned through, another horse managed to escape and ran away with all its might. And with that, one of our options for escape had been dealt with.

Tch! Didn't expect them to be this organized. If this were some ordinary bandit ambush, then I doubt they'll even have the courage to attack a caravan with ten guards unless they have large enough numbers…No, perhaps they have a goal in mind other than stealing the products.

Another thing that's interesting is their strategy. Normal ambushes would often overpower their targets through sheer number, but here, there's none of that. Send out vanguards. Attack the closest guard then archers shoot them down while they're distracted. Afterward, they would disappear once more into the forest. Completely hidden till they strike again.

This strategy proves lethal to Felthorn's less experienced guards. Not only does this create a sense of dread as they don't know who's going to be taken down next, but it also lowers their morale. Again, this is not some ordinary bandit group…no, they're too coordinated for this.

I felt my hair stand up. The temperature rose as a fireball was launched towards me. Given my agility, I should be able to easily jump over it, except there are people behind me. Before my mind could even think, a wall of ice appeared out of nowhere, blocking the flaming projectile and the wall quickly disintegrating due to the heat.

It seems Yukinoshita's a better team player than I thought, I'm sure if it was any other person, they would've let me take the damage, not that I can't survive it mind you.

Just as I was about to rush another bandit, an arrow appeared out of the woods. Judging from its angle, its aimed towards my chest. I was able to successfully misdirect the arrow by throwing a knife at it. Knife, two; Arrows, zero. In one swift movement, another one of my knives became airborne, only to embed itself into a tree.

From what I could gather, their group consists of multiple archers and a few more bandits acting as vanguards. Even more concerning is the appearance of a mage or seemingly the lack thereof. It seems like I'm correct, this isn't some normal group of bandits.

Noticing my presence, another bandit rushed me with a sword at hand. Gladius sword to be specific, short-range, extremely sharp, designed for stabbing. Use momentum against him. Side-step then grab his right wrist. While avoiding any major blood vessel, stab his hand with a throwing knife. Let goes of his sword. Throw a left jab at the right temple. Instant knockout. Don't grab the knife else causes bleeding. How stupid can you get? You just saw me take down your ally then you stupidly decide to charge me?! Their group may be organized compared to ours, but as individuals, they're stupid as hell!

Again, arrows shot out from the woods, four this time. Each fired with a moment's delay and are fired from two opposite directions. Heh, to a normal person they would've been hit by one even if they tried to dodged. Fortunately, or not, I'm not your average person.

I threw a single knife onto the first arrow, specifically aiming for its metallic point. The knife had enough momentum to deflect the arrow, which started a chain reaction. The first arrow hit the second, then it hit the third and so on. The arrows literally spun around me as they hit each other. Heh, I'm sure that made me look awesome. I'm sure artisans of all kinds would make me repeat such an awesome technique, paying me money for my skills...On second thought, maybe not.

The trees gave them enough cover to avoid getting spotted or hit. But whenever they need to fire, these archers would need to peek from their hiding spot and that's the perfect opportunity for me to exploit. Being dumbstruck by my stunt, two of them didn't notice the throwing knives headed towards their directions. The blunt handle of the blades hit them directly in their foreheads. Before I even had the chance to acknowledge the other bandits, they've already hidden into the forest.

An outcry could be heard as two bandits struck down a guard. One of which was about to end the man's life when suddenly he was frozen in place. The second attacker didn't have a chance to retreat with me hitting him square in the head with my knife.

"_Ihma Falko Belta_!"

Yukinoshita's hands glowed as she cast a spell. Mere moments later, the guard's wound had fully closed. The elf's pale skin was even whiter than before, her eyes were closed half-lid possibly due to overuse of her magic. Just by looking at her, one could tell she can't keep going. I mean she looks like an undead for god's sake!

"Y-You stay…h-here."

She almost whispered. Before, every time she moved, a sense of elegance and grace could be seen. But now, Yukinoshita's like a wobbling drunkard. It seems like her mental fatigue had taken a toll on her.

"Yukinoshita."

Ignored, she used her staff for support as her legs couldn't support her own weight. Judging with how quickly she came to the guard's aid as soon as he fell, I assume Yukinoshita has been tending those guys' wounds. You're a _mage, _not a bloody healer, idiot.

"Oy! Yukinoshita!" She continued to walk away, seemingly deaf to my calls.

You being stubborn is just makes it even worse. Her ice-blue eyes which normally held a sense of superiority is now replaced with sheer determination. Such resolve brings forth recklessness, sooner or later she'll bite more than she can even shallow.

As if fate is toying with me, seven arrows shot out. Three were headed towards my direction while the other four moved towards Yukinoshita's. Tch! Given her state, she'll no doubt get hit. I've already grabbed my knife when.

"_Ihma Alha Kumaez_"

A wall of ice appeared out of nowhere. The projectiles became embedded in the barrier. There was only one magic-user in the entire caravan. I glanced at Yukinoshita, expecting her to have finally fainted for taxing her body, instead I saw the same look of conviction. Exhaustion is still present, but she kept going…Only an idiot doesn't know when it's better to give up.

Shadows loomed from above us as five bandits jumped over the barrier, each armed with a short sword. They've likely noticed Yukinoshita's ice spell and her healing the guards. Her meddling with the other guards has put a target on her head.

Before three of them could even land, my knives have already hit their arms. The pain made them drop their weapons and fall epically onto the ground. Yukinoshita on the other hand, had only stopped a single one, using an ice crystal to knock one out. For someone barely able to stand, you sure are good at knocking people's lights out. I imagine being hit an ice block bigger than brick gonna hurt.

That leaves two bloodthirsty outlaws pointing their blades towards her heart. She won't be able to evade that…Tch! I'm out of throwing knives. Moving towards their prey, I pushed Yukinoshita away and one's blade came in contact with my dagger while my scabbard was almost split in two, as I used it to shield the elf. That cost me 50 copper coins…Yeah, she really owes me now.

With one swift kick to the groin, my left assailant let out a screech and fell down. The one on my right grabbed his short sword off the sheath, wanting to stab me with it. Don't worry, I'll make sure to punch you lightly, so I could beat you over and over again without you passing out on me.

Just as I was about to beat the crap out of said bandit, a loud screech was heard. From the Red Marewood carriage, a plump man is forcibly being dragged by the hair by an equally large individual. A dark robe covered the entirety of this mysterious entity. The remainder of Felthorn's guards quickly rushed towards the weirdly dressed man. One positioned his longsword atop his head, ready to strike the attacker's head…Why the hell would you charge at a mage?!

One must never let their recklessness overcome their logic, take note and be cautious of everything which surrounds your life. For you may never know, which detail may prove decisive in ending your life.

Piercing the already chaotic nature of this raid, another deafening scream negated Felthorn's own. In the blink of an eye, a corpse flew straight towards a carriage, instantly shattering the wooden wall. Like rain, it showered debris and destroyed goods fell from all directions. The once living guard, in an instant, became nothing but a mutilated carcass.

Like the guard's death was some sort of signal, eight arrows shot out from the forest. With them, eleven more bandits came forth and without even giving me a moment's break, engaged our already weary force. Eleven against eight guards, plus me and an already tired Yukinoshita. Tch! This is going to be rough.

The merchant screamed as he was dragged by the hair further worsened the tension in the air. Four of the projectiles missed, the remainder of which easily pierced through armor's gaps as they hit the guards. I stopped Yukinoshita before she even stood up.

"You're weak enough already…If you try to help them then you'll just forfeit everyone's life. Think rationality about the situation." So, our mystery mage had finally arrived, and with them more of those archers. And now, they've taken Felthorn hostage…Aaa~h! Fate really does love the toy with me.

* * *

**What it Takes to Win a Battle. (4.2)**

Metal clashed with metal as my blade was met with another. Low sweep kick. Was easily dodged. Counters with a knee strike. Dodge. Two arrows behind me. Strife left then right.

Utilizing the angle from which the arrows came from, our resident mage fired off a barrage of ice crystals. Leaves were shaken off the trees as said missiles only hit their trunk. Yukinoshita's keeps on forcing herself, even though she's on the verge of exhaustion her spells are as precise as before. Well~ as long as she can fight, I won't complain _that_ much.

The bandit I was fighting fell back and into the foliage once more. Tch! Their tactics are mostly hit and run, using the forest to their advantage. If one were to charge into the thicket then they'll no doubt be sniped by an archer. Their strategy is underhanded…I could one day use this. Chasing after Felthorn and healing the guards should be the top priority but it's not like they'll allow us to do that. Meaning we're stuck until we defeat every last one of them.

The remnants of the second carriage still scattered the battlefield. Scraped ores, pierced sacks of salt and broken pots of oil…Oil, a very flammable substance. But fundamentally useless because we don't have a starter _and_ we're in the middle of a forest…On second thought maybe it's not _that_ useless

But four of the five carriages remained intact…And given the scenario, they may be our key to victory. Two bandits engage one of the guards, Yukinoshita notices and quickly sends a rush of cold air. One quickly jumped away but the other one became distracted, the guard took the opportunity and was ready to cleave the bandit's face off.

I easily cleared the gap and was able to knock the assailant's lights out with a left hook. The guard let out a grunt of annoyance as he stopped the momentum of his broadsword, barely missing my hood. The large man tightly held his sword, shaking visibly.

Of the eleven criminals, we've knocked out three, they don't have the number advantage, but they still have control over the battlefield. It's time to even the odds.

* * *

**The Lone Princess of Ice and Snow. (1.2)**

My body could no longer support my own weight, it's as if the ground itself is pulling me to come closer. The staff which enhanced my spells acted as a crutch to help me stand. Still, for me to be so weak as to not help the people suffering before me. To think I would be useless in the face of adversity once more. How pretentious of me.

I could hear hurried footsteps as two bandits rushed me from behind. A similar mask covered their faces, keeping their identity's a secret. Pointing the crystal point of my staff towards them, I cast an ice wall spell.

"_Ihma Alha Kumaez_"

The slower one of the two was caught off guard and retreated. The more agile one used my spell against me, using it to their leverage and easily jumping over it. I only have moments before my assailant reaches me, no time for me to cast a spell. I blocked the short sword by parrying it with my staff. The pointed blade came closer as it was given more force by the bandit. Had I reserved my strength then I would not have been overpowered so easily.

One of my knees gave and my body fell closer to the ground. However, before I was overwhelmed and killed, a brown blur tackled my aggressor, knocking him off me. It was the young merchant from before, said boy was struggling against his larger adversary. Without a second to waste, I cast another spell.

"_Erima__ Iraesa Leazin_"

With enough accuracy, I was able to avoid hitting the young merchant and instead aimed the cold air towards the bandit. Wind powerful enough to lift up trees sent the mercenary flying. Ice crystals formed on the mercenary's clothes, only to be broken as he hit a tree with sufficient enough force to shake it.

"Are you alright? I-I mean you were almost hurt by that guy!"

The young trader frantically asked. My lips slightly curled upwards. Knowing full well that my attacker was armed, he willingly risked danger to save someone. Such bravery from a young man, it seems there's still hope for the future after all.

"I'm fine, no need to worry about me. Go take cover within one of the carriages."

Is what I would've told the boy if it weren't for my body losing whatever strength it had left. My eyelids felt heavy, everything around became a blur and slowly my vision darkened. My body collapsed, only for something to catch my shoulder, and prevented me from falling. Before I was a pair of eyes akin to that of a dead fish.

"To need help from a non-combatant, you really are stubborn."

A retort formed within my mouth. Before I could even utter it, my mind turned blank. I overdid it, didn't I?

* * *

And with that, Obaa-san fell unconscious. I told her to stop healing those guys, but she _insisted_, I really hate dealing with stubborn people, Hiratsuka's enough as is. Logically, it's better to deal with the attacker than continuously healing the damage caused by them. Yukinoshita may be a peculiar mage but she's still an F Ranked adventurer.

"You." While supporting Yukinoshita, I aimed my gaze towards the boy from earlier. I'm sure _most_ people would praise him for being brave, but I'm not most people.

"Hii~h!" …Okay, ignoring that high-pitched screech.

"You willingly went out from your hiding spot, and then put your life in danger despite _knowing _that there are other combatants around." I made my point clear if he was injured then who do you think would've healed him? The other idiot. "How stupid are you?"

Bravery is just a word dumbasses like to use when they do something stupid. Voluntarily being 'heroic' is the same as being naïve and following the lead of said idiots how _you're_ trying to rescue, if they weren't so dumb then they won't saving in the first place. It is better to be called a coward for living another day than to be called a 'hero' for being _brave_.

"I-I was t-trying to save her!" By trying to fight someone probably ten times stronger than you? If youth really is the hope of the future, then our future's _fucked_. Knowing that this conversation would go nowhere, I decided to ask him about the situation, how many guards can still fight and other things.

"A-Almost all of the guards were h-hurt but thanks to Yukinoshita-san, a lot of them were saved. Five of them seem to still be fighting." Eight versus Six, minus our mage. Tch! This is going to be rough.

She really is stubborn, despite telling her not to, Obaa-san continued to _help_. Sacrificing yourself in the face of the adversary may seem noble but being morally right doesn't mean you'll live another day. Kind souls die faster than those who don't care.

"And the other merchants? Where are they hiding?" He was about to point towards where they were taking refuge, I quickly grabbed his arm.

"So, they're alright?" If the archers were to see where the other merchants are, then they might focus their fires at it. I can't risk it. The boy nervous nodded. Great.

"Here, take Yukinoshita there. I'll distract them." I handed him the ice queen's unconscious body. At her current state, she's nothing more than a burden. Time to even the odds with these bandits.

Hiding behind one of the carriages, I signaled the young merchant to leave as soon as I throw something. His face scrunched in anxiety as he readied himself to run while supporting Yukinoshita on his shoulders.

I held two silver stones in my hands, iron ore if I recall. Footsteps closed in on our location, and in one quick throw, I struck the two bandits on their forehead. Boom! Headshot! The boy quickly dashed towards cover as arrows flew towards me. Hah! Haven't they learned their lesson? Arrows are useless against me!

Arrowheads met my blade then ricocheted back towards the forest. Putting force onto my legs, I bounded towards the inside of the first carriage. Guards around me rasped in surprise, only to dodge the oncoming projectiles that were supposed to be aimed at me.

The wooden carriage creaked with my weight and wood being hit by metal rang in my ear. From the inside of the wagon, I saw three arrowheads peek out from the wooden walls. They must think I'm some cornered animal and they're my hunter, being slighted is the best advantage you could get, mistakes often occur due to a person's overconfidence. Closing my eyes, I let my ears search for a specific sound. I heard blades clash with one another and groans of pain from the guards. Focusing even more, bows creaked as they are pulled back with an arrow strung between the strings, these noises though faint sounded in my ears.

Grabbing four sacks from the carriage, I then lobbed all four outside. And in that instant, the archers noticed movement and they let go of their bowstring. The battlefield was immediately covered in white dust as arrows pierced through the sacks.

Like a smokescreen, the fine flour made it impossible for the archers to focus us down…But that wasn't even the entire plan. White dust spread all around. Assessing no guard within the radius of the flour, I dashed towards the edge of the smokescreen. From the ground lay hundreds of dark-colored minerals. Striking the familiar-looking stone to my dagger created sparks, which then ignited the starch within the flour.

Just as planned, heat slighted scorched by back as a giant fireball erupted just behind me, which quickly spread into the oil scattered ground. The guards panicked from the sight, alongside them were our attackers. Every sentient beings rely on impulses and instincts when surprised however, it takes twenty seconds for them to calm down and think logically. Any rogue knows those mere seconds could create opportunities that you could exploit. If the dirt pathway was chaotic before, imagine setting it on fire.

While the remainder of the attacking force and our own was distracted by the explosion and the subsequential fire, I went into the forest. Everyone's focus was still on the giant explosion. An archer still rattled by the fire didn't see me coming. With a quick hook to the temple, he was knocked out. He dropped his weapon, a bow, and an arrow. If Zaimokuza even catches wind of this, he'll _never_ let me live it down.

Breathe in, breathe out. Focus on your target and predict whatever move they'll make. Be prepared and stay cautious. Everyone is a threat. Smoke masks your presence. Feel the bow and its arrow. No gust of wind. Perfect conditions. Let go.

Using the bow and arrows of this bandit, I hit two other foragers on the shoulder. The smoke gave way as the projectiles blew into the air hitting the remaining vanguards of their group. In quick succession I took out the other archers by striking them on their arms, disabling their ability to fight without injuring a major vessel.

An arrow embedded itself beside me, hitting the trunk of an old tree. I quickly took cover, only to see that the arrow actually pierced through my cover. Shit. Again, three arrows were shot out. The third barely hitting my skin, because it tore through my cloak…That cost me eight silver coins.

The muscle just beneath my left eye twitch. I maneuvered towards the nearest log and rapidly shot out five arrows. Like before, they fired at me and I fired back, arrows flew through the air in breathtaking speeds. Three archers versus me, every arrow shot intentionally missed their intended target. I outmatch them in pure marksmanship while they have the advantage in numbers and firing rate, thankfully I don't plan to hit them.

Our duel lasted for around forty seconds. The three grunted in pain as the remaining guards were able to finally pinpoint the archers' positions and ambush them. Took them long enough.

* * *

**What it Takes to Win a Battle. (4.3)**

A rope was tied around the wrists and ankles of each bandit, stripped of any weapon or armor they had and sat in a seiza position, making it hard for any of them to stand up. Now suffer you trash! How dare you destroy my scabbard _and_ tear my cloak, do you have any idea how much that cost me! The cord I used to capture animals was from the same length I used to capture rabbits. We may have taken out the bandit group however, the task is far from over. I'll leave the interrogation to the guards because I have other things to take care of.

Armed with a quiver of arrows, a bow, four of my throwing knives, my dagger and a short sword. All I needed to do now was follow the fresh tracks created by Felthorn, which seems like thrashing around like a child worked out for him after all.

I was about to dash to the forest when a hand grabbed my shoulder. Looking over, I saw determined eyes as he met my own. It was the first guard Yukinoshita had saved.

"I'm coming with you."

"…" Along with him, three of the _okay_ guards stood up as well. The same fire present in each of their expressions. Oy! I feel like I'm gonna melt you know, quit looking at me like that…Can't you just look at Obaa-san? I'm sure such heated gazes would melt her frozen heart, Ahh~ who am I kidding? You're like a bunch of kindles compared to Miss Ice Queen.

"They've taken our boss and killed Sadon, may the gods be damned if don't kill that man!"

Anger. Hatred. Vengeance. All present in them, I don't really understand how they're determined to kill the same man who could so easily kill them the same way that other guy died. I especially don't understand why they're so ready to rescue Felthorn, because as far as I'm concerned, he was a true demon to them. Yeah, a demon with a load of money but a demon nonetheless.

Emotions dull…everything. With the way they are acting, these guards are pretty much signing a death sentence by helping me face an unknown mage. I've observed them fight and believe me, even rookie knights are better than them. And now that they're angry? Last time I checked they weren't berserk barbarians so no. The only reason they even been able to fight was because of Yukinoshita, and without her? They're better off being fodder.

"…No"

"Why the fuck not!?" Quickly the taller man grabbed my collar, bringing my face closer to his. I would appreciate it if you brushed more before shouting at me, particularly my face.

"That fuck took our boss! You think we'll get paid without him!" Oh of course! They don't really care about Felthorn as a person, to which I understand _completely_ they just care to get paid! Money really is synonymous with your life, lack the money no one gives a shit, have a lot then everyone wants you.

"And that guy killed Sadon! For fuck's sake. You think I can stand doing nothing while that shit fucking breathes?!"

An eye for an eye, a life for a life. The act of revenge, doing another violence with the same violence they've been put off with. Any sentient being knows of the feeling of vengeance, humans especially are the most vengeful beings there are, even compared to the supposed _evil_ races we are by far the most violent and greedy.

"…You barely survived fighting off a couple of bandits, you think you can fight a mage now?" Be aware of your place, in this world power is the currency. Lacking strength? Use your brain, abuse your speed, agility, anything at your disposable. But lack all of it, then you're better off being stepping stones to others. I remembered those words perfectly as they echoed in my mind.

"Don't fuck with me!" The large guard reeled his fist, with the intention of hitting me with it. And like a child, he throws a tantrum for not getting what he wants. Time to act as a parent and slap him till he behaves.

Unarmed guard. Inexperienced and heavily relies on strength. Close proximity. Punch destination is my face. Guard still grabbing onto my cloak. Knee his solar plexus. Let go of cloak. Use the momentum of punch to throw him. His body is thrown into a thicket, his landing is not something I'll call _graceful_.

He landed on a bush, while the two other guards beside me had already unsheathed their blades. Feeling threatened due to me defending myself from the first guard, the other two attacked as well. I simultaneously dodged their efforts with ease and kicked their chests. Still conscious, they looked at me with hated eyes. I just _defended _myself and now _I'm_ the bad guy? I mean they attacked me first.

"There goes you, adventurers." The third guard coughed. "Lording your _skills_ and abilities to us like some sort of god." He then coughed harder due to the force of my kick. There's a reason people are stronger than others, inheritance, talent, fame whatever it was, there are plenty who would feel jealous of those better than them. Even if they didn't know the circumstances as to why they became like that. Why _I_ chose to be an adventurer. To lord my skills? Ha! I don't need to show anything to anyone it is their own fault for feeling insecure in the first place, so long as they don't get in my way then I'll let them be jealous.

I grabbed my fallen bow. "Guards those bandits properly, none of you even have the skill to fight them off." People are motivated by lust, pride or greed. As for me? Nothing really matters anymore.

I didn't even need to look back to feel the dark glares I'm receiving from those guards…Not like I care.

* * *

Fodders those guards may have been, they would be more of a burden than an asset. Like any idiot, I'm sure they'll just charge right in and give away our position. In combat, your emotions are the worst things you could carry with you. Emotions equal vulnerability and that means death.

The branches of some saplings were broken and bent, like something, forced its way through it. Again, it would take a moron to not track down the mage and Felthorn I mean he didn't even cover his tracks. It's like the man's so confident in his bandits that he didn't care what happens, knowing that they'll be victorious…Or maybe he still has a trick up his sleeve, I need to remain cautious.

Checking the muddy ground, I could spot a pair of footsteps along with a trail. It was as if a large and annoying man was forcibly dragged through here, said person was probably flailing around like an irritating child…Fits Felthorn's description perfectly. Still one could never be too cautious, I climbed a nearby tree to survey the land and see the enemy's perimeter.

A natural cliff and a forest clearing. Slightly covered by the trees. Neither Felthorn nor the mage is in sight. Focus on hearing. Birds chirping in distress. A slight gust of wind. Focus harder. A masculine voice along with a whimpering one. Unable to distinguish correctly however appears to be alone.

Tch! I don't even know if that guy has a back-up. On the side note, Felthorn seems to be alive probably a crying mess but alive nonetheless. If our mystery mage wanted to kill him then he'd probably done so earlier. Heck if I wanted to kill the man in the first place, I would've killed him the first chance I got, I'm not gonna waste effort dragging that guy this far. This attack was meant to capture Felthorn, for what reason? That I should find out. I wouldn't know anything up here so with my agility, I easily jumped down and landed perfectly on a bush.

Slowly I approached the enemy encampment. Tied to a tree was a crying man child, his face was littered with snot and tears. The large bulky man stood menacingly before Felthorn, his face similar to some barbarians I've met before, which means he looks gruff and threatening. You know, if he hadn't taken his hood off, I would've assumed he was an orc. A dragon tattoo on his left arm. You Mr. Mystery Mage-san, you look more like a warrior or barbarian than a mage, I mean mages are normally scrawny scholarly types not body-builder type, I mean his biceps are probably bigger than my head!

"P-Please let me go! I'll give y-you a-anything just that hurt me! I h-have money at the carriage just don't hurt me!" Felthorn pathetically whimpered. The mage just looked unimpressed but judging by the twitching under his left eye I'm sure he's going to break, I could only guess the amount of patience this guy has.

"I-I h-have m-magic potions and grimoires! Just let me go please!" The merchant continued to whine, offering gold, magic weapons and _certain_ items to the man who's currently taking him hostage. How annoying can you get? And at that moment.

"For crying out loud! Some dumb fuck wanted you alive but I'm _so close_ to killing you myself! So you best shut up before I sew your mouth close!" The mage shouted as his sanity depended on it since he's with Felthorn that appears to be the case. "I wasn't paid enough for this shit" He murmured to himself.

"Hii~h!" ...What is it with people and high-pitched screeches? Do you even know how irritating that sounds? The mage rubbed his temple while sighing in defeat. Despite seemingly being the head to this ambush, I respect this man, I'm sure only the strongest of will could even survive Felthorn's _barrage_. In a startled manner the mage looked into the forest, moments later a series of ice crystals launched their way towards him. He dodged most of the attack, but one hit him on his upper torso, slightly pushing him backward while unscathed. He then revealed that he actually caught the projectile, and in his grasp was a blunt ice crystal.

…Okay, hands down this guy's scary, a mage _and_ body-builder combo are to powerful damn it! I know of one person in the caravan that has the ability to create that much ice, though I hope I'm wrong. The temperature rose as another fireball was formed from thin air, only to be launched towards the forest. The fire sizzled in as it came into contact with a solid wall, steam emitted from the forest along with a dark silhouette launching itself towards the merchant's captor.

A familiar blue hue shone through the clearing as the crystal tip of the staff met with the sun's rays. The figure wore a long blue robe, even in a distance, one could see the embroidered runes on it. Raven hair flowed through the wind, her delicate face holds only determination. …It's Yukinoshita isn't it? Goddamn it.

* * *

**The Lone Princess of Ice and Snow. (1.3)**

Due to my own weakness, I was unable to help those in need. No matter how much power and authority I hold, it seems I would forever be unable to aid the masses. Maybe if I had simply listened, then I would've never failed.

I grew conscious as the putrid scent of what seems to be manure flooded my nostrils. My eyes swiftly opened while my body flinched on its own acting disgusted to the smell. To think someone had the nerve to humor me with an animal's excrement. I expected to see a familiar set of dead eyes with a smug look on his face instead, I saw the youthful face of that young merchant. Surrounding him were the five other merchants, riddled in each of their looks were anxiety and fear.

"It worked!" The people surrounding me left out a sigh. What the young trader held in his hands was a small vial with purple liquid. Was it not manure that woke me up? I inquired him.

"U-Ummm~. This potion is said to wake anyone up, curing illusions and nightmares as well. I-I'm not entirely s-sure how it's made b-but Sir Felthorn said its made from A-Ammon salts."

Ammon salts? Such a bizarre name, though it may be due to human culture of sorts. But to think humans have a substance that could dispel unconsciousness and illusions. If I were to bring it my realm then it'll quickly become a necessity to soldiers and nobles alike. Examining my environment, I was inside one of the carriages. I recalled myself to be outside, fighting off a bandit only to then fall unconscious because of the mending spell.

"W-Well Hikigaya-san asked me to c-carry you here."

…Logical as it was to hide me alongside the non-combatants, it still irks me how I was unable to help fight off the raid. Why was I so weak to be defended by those I was supposed to protect? Was it simply hubris for me to think I can do such a task? Then what of my authority within my kingdom? Would whatever I do not be enough?

"…If the bandits have been dealt with, what happened with Felthorn?"

"After dealing with those guys…Hikigaya-san went on his own. The guards w-wanted to come but when he said n-no, a fight broke out."

A fight? I rubbed my temple in disbelief. Hopefully, Hikigaya-kun did not injure too much. Although, I doubt that he held back against them. He may seem unassuming at first, but he is still a high ranked adventurer. So, for ill-experienced guards to fight him, Hikigaya-kun would not take kindly to such actions.

Turning my focusing on how the man used his magic, it could be said that he used a magic spell of orcish origins, prioritizing power over mana efficiency. Due to the man's size, he would appear to be an orc, but he should be human, solely based on his gruff but humanlike speech. Still, for a man to learn such magic, he must be well taught in orcish culture and magic.

Since the person who had kidnapped Felthorn is a mage, it is becoming more apparent that I must fight alongside Hikigaya-kun. I do not mean to belittle his skill, but it would better for both of us to deal with this menace. Also knowing Hikigaya-kun's reputation then he would quickly find them, and it is possible for him to already engage the mage.

I was just about to leave when a hand grabbed my shoulder. It was one of the old merchants, his eyebrows were furrowed. His eyes are filled with fear, darting towards me and the canopy of the forest. His hands tensed and shook as he stopped me from moving any further.

"Missy, you've just woken up. I don't know any better, but it wouldn't be wise for you to leave so suddenly."

…While I am thankful for his concern of me, I know that is not what he entirely meant. "_Please don't leave! We wouldn't be able to protect ourselves._" It may be cynical of me to assume such ulterior motives from the very people who hid me, still it is still quite understandable of their fears. However, it is my duty to lend my hand to those most in need of it. Even with their feelings of uncertainty, I cannot simply leave Felthorn's life in the hand of an adventurer such as he. I cannot dare to do nothing whilst someone else needs my assistance.

"You do not need to concern yourself with me, I had already regained enough of my strength to rescue Felthorn. Unless there is something else you wish to say."

The old man's gaze darted towards outside and my face, sweat dripped from his temple as he fidgeted with his fingers. Am I really intimidating to cause such a reaction?

"Y-You see, that buddy of yours w-went ahead already! I'm sure he'll come around."

"Even with that fact, I cannot simply sit still and to wait for good news, I wish to help in acquiring such revelation."

The old merchant tried to conceal his intentions, however his body betrayed him, telling of his true motive, which I've already deduced by now. Seeing how this conversation would proceed, I decided to follow Hikigaya-kun only for someone to grab my arm. I felt a slight force in his grasp. When my gaze came into contact with his, the merchant immediately let go. Not only did he have to gall to suddenly invade my privacy, to think he would stop me as well.

"I-It would r-really be best if you stayed with u-us, no point in injuring yourself for s-someone like Felthorn."

For someone like Felthorn…It appears there is a much deeper reason as to why he wishes to stop me. If he wishes for Felthorn to perish, however it would be unlikely for Hikigaya-kun to fail. Unlikely as it may be, there always a possibility and while I have the power to help, I would utilize it.

"…Even if I was heavily wounded, I would still will myself to help. For it is my duty to bear. So, stay here as I rescue Felthorn."

I had once experienced the feeling of having the ability to save someone but be utterly useless in doing so, I would not make the same mistakes again. As I declared my intentions, his eyes from a state of nervousness, slowly lit with frustration.

"P-Please just l-listen to what I have to s-say just let that adventurer deal w-with him."

It seems that no matter what I say, they would continue to push me into staying. Glancing towards the young merchant who had woken me up, it appears that he shares the same train of thought with the other traders. Such a shame. Instead of continuing this conversation, which could give me less time to rescue Felthorn I opted to go on.

"J-Just how hard-headed are you?!"

One of the younger merchants shouted, despite how his sweat dripped from his brows his eyes displayed a steady fire of irritation. I aimed my gaze to match his and he slightly backed down. Gathering his determination once more, he glared back.

"Are you that _stupid_?! Who cares if that devil dies! Hell, everyone would be glad if that fatso croaked!"

For him to think so ill of his fellow, I have seen the cruelty Felthorn has directed towards his men. But that is no reason to forfeit his life. The merchant continued.

"I-If we even have a choice, we would've left him long ago! But he has a chain around our necks! He's been nothing but a cruel tyrant to us! You think we care if he died?! You think anyone will?!"

His voice grew in intensity as he shouted. I have seen the things Felthorn has done to his men, but it is no reason to kill him. To execute a life is nothing but a meaningless endeavor, the sins committed by those killed would not be instantly solved, instead have them correct themselves and those they have sinned against. I narrowed my eyes at the man.

"So, you would leave him to die because he has done cruel things to you? Such a sad excuse to effectively kill him."

Instantly the merchant backed down, he tried to retort only for it to die in his throat. I have come to understand that all life is equal in worth, no one is born higher nor lower than others because every one of them have the ability to adapt and change, each has a will of their own and a people to mourn for their loss…

"Do you not understand killing those who have done would prove counter-productive? Instead of having said person fix their own misdeeds, you have killed and have others to suffer to solve it?"

The evil deeds a person does continues to linger even if they no longer dwell with the living, thousand years of war attest to this. Instead, have the person who's done said deeds remedy their own evil. Yes, there are times when the acts they've committed are impossible to forgive, then have them compensate for in other ways.

"You think your life is more valuable because he has committed cruel acts? Then wouldn't the soldiers and _heroes_ you praise so much be worthless too? Have they not committed the same atrocity towards others?"

Plenty of the people they praise and idolize are murderers, killers who have ended another's life… I have sworn to _never_ take another's life. Having heard what I've said, the other merchants cast their glances downwards. Convincing them to change their views would prove impossible given their current sentiment.

I grabbed my staff and hopped out from the caravan, I saw two figures from distance wrangle a horse. Wearing the same albeit damaged armor from the guards, I assumed they caught the beast in order to head towards town. It still surprises me how humans have tamed such a majestic being.

Patrolling the area were three more of the guards, it seems the bandits have been taken care of as all of them were tied and left sitting on the ground. A large pile of knives, swords and other weapons were stationed far from the captives, likely confiscated from them. The guards locked their gaze with me and simply batted an eye, almost uncaringly. From the pile of weapons, I grabbed a holster and a dagger. I am by no means inadequate in using melee weapons, having been trained in combat since I was a child. The brilliant rays of the sun stood strong as it passed noon. Entering the forest, I could feel the blank stares of those patrolling the area, I could only guess what Hikigaya-kun has done to them.

* * *

Dried leaves crumbled under my boot as I continued my trek to rescue Felthorn. Despite being covered by shrubbery, I could still feel the beating shine of the sun. It is best for me to hurry before it gets dark, I must find Felthorn, else get lost and be devoured by whatever lies in this forest. Having just awoken, I could feel my body strain as I moved forward.

Having some knowledge of Hikigaya-kun's skill, it is only a matter of time when he would locate Felthorn. I, however, doubt that he would be strong enough to fight said mage. I do not mean to undermine Hikigaya-kun's experience, but I am unsure if he even notices let alone knows of the different kinds of magic. He may be a proficient adventurer but that's where it ends, experience. Lacks magical potential unlike the rest of his peers, doesn't seem to possess superhuman strength and shown to only be above average in intelligence, comparable to most captains. Adding the strengths of the enemy, truly it would be best for both of us to fight the mystery mage.

What lay before my path was a set of broken saplings as if something forced its way through it. Along it was a pair of footprints on the muddy ground and trails like a large cargo was dragged through the ground…So the mage took Felthorn in this direction. I cannot sense any magic of any sort, perhaps Hikigaya-kun has yet to clash with the mage or they're engaging in a melee, however unlikely that may be. I continued to follow the trail.

As I neared a clearing, several whimpering pleas could be heard. And there, tied to a tree was Felthorn. The mage stood tall with his hood down and his sleeves rolled up, seemingly displaying his intimidating nature, no doubt a method to make Felthorn too afraid to escape. I could only imagine the atrocities done to Felthorn to render him to snivel like a child. The merchant offered riches and other such things for his freedom. Another thing to note was Hikigaya-kun's lack of presence, has he been taken out already or did I truly overestimate his capabilities. Then like thunder, the mage's shout made him quiet.

"For crying out loud! Some dumb fuck wanted you alive but I'm so close to killing you myself! So, you best shut up before I sew your mouth close!"

Even from this distance, I could feel the man's animosity. I could not simply stand here while I have the power to save Felthorn. I pointed my magic staff towards my adversary, it's blue crystal glowed brighter as it enhanced the mana I was released out of my body. The mana pooled together and formed ice crystals. Four…No, four would not be enough. Concentrating further proved difficult due to my exhaustion. Ignoring the possibility of a rebound, I cast a more advanced spell.

"Erima Alha Ousiralthel"

From four, it turned to twelve. And with as much force as I could muster, I launched each of these projectiles into him. Sensing the sudden flow of mana, the enemy mage put up his guard and was buffeted by a series of ice spikes. Most of which hit him, one however, the mage caught it.

"Is that all you got?"

The enemy taunted, increasing his grip strength. Instantly the ice crystal shattered like it was made of dried wood…My mind brought up a cruel thought of Hikigaya-kun or Felthorn's head being crushed by his hands. I need to keep my distance as close combat with him would be the end of me, his strength surely enough to have bones crumbled under him. Wasting no time, I cast another spell.

"Ihma Ehau Igodrio"

Exhaling a cold cloud of my breath, I felt my body lighten as my limbs and mind were enchanted to move quicker. My exhaustion was momentarily disappeared/ The enemy mage however did not wait for me, instead he unleashed a similar fire spell towards me. The flaming sphere roared as it pushed and heated the air surrounding it. Given its size, it may explode upon contact with any solid surface meaning I have no chance to even dodge the attack.

"Ihma Alha Kumaez"

An ice wall blocked the raging ball's course. Given the fireball's power, my spell outer layer was near-instantly evaporated, but it held its own against the opposing element as steam erupted from it. Using the gas as cover, I cast another ice wall just below me. It had enough power to launch up into the air, similar to what the bandit did earlier while using my own spell as leverage. In addition to this newfound technique, I fully utilized my own enhanced agility and readied another spell as I fell down.

"Erima Ihvio Alha Oras"

From my staff came a column of ice, its tip bladed and shaped into a spearhead. What I cast was a subclass spell of elemental magic, creation magic. With this magic, one can shape their elemental affinity with more ease compared to manually manipulating and shaping the element. The enemy mage dodged the gigantic spear as it stabbed through the ground. Falling down, the mage gathered his own mana and shaped it into a sphere once more. Mana was collected on the palm of his hands that then turned to heat as it was compressed, quickly the small ember becomes a gigantic fireball.

"Sha El Ke Ra!"

The fire spell was directed towards me, despite having both my mind and limbs enchanted to react faster, I cannot maneuver my body while mid-air. Reacting quickly, I used the staff of the ice spear to form a sort of shield but it was too lat-!

I felt my forearms warm-up due to the heat, thankfully I was able to negate the flame from scalding my skin. Still, the force of it pushed me back with sufficient force.

"Ihma Ore Iramon Almakh"

Near instantly the entire clearing was covered in white. The leaves and grass buried under a meter of snow said blanket was just enough to soften my landing. As I faced my fellow magic-user, I could see the hostility within his eyes as veins bulge from his forehead. We both stared each other down, waiting for the other to make the first move.

My ice spell may have affected Felthorn as collateral, given this amount of snow he would freeze if this battle prolongs. Warily, I glanced towards the head merchant's position. The shock was evident in his face when he finally felt the cold as he shivered from my spell. I cannot free him without first defeating this menace, so defeat him I shall. As I heard snow move as the mage set the surrounding snow ablaze, melting them. Puddles of water and melting ice pooled into our battlefield, only the greater mage would win this fight.

Even in the face of a greater foe, even if the odds are stacked against me, I would not let any of them falter me. To change to the world is my objective, even if I had to sacrifice my own life, I would do so no matter what it takes. And if anyone stands in my way then I would _crush _them mercilessly.

* * *

**A/N: Well that was something, Hoo~ Boy! Another chapter is done and it only took me what? Five months? Yeah, life has been pretty hectic since the start of my school year, couldn't really sacrifice my grade because of my pride so yeah (Also hating Calculus of the moment)! I've been trying a view writing styles of the late and this is my experimental one! Tell me what you think! Roast me for writing this, compliment me, tell me whether they're OOC or do whatever so long as I get some of that constructive criticism then all things good! See all of you next year!**

**A Basscus could only imagine. **


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